


Gloves of Lace

by LelMoriarty



Category: EXO (Band), NCT (Band), SHINee, SuperM (Korea Band)
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - Criminals, Alternate Universe - Gangsters, Anal Sex, Assassins & Hitmen, F/M, Gang Violence, Gun Violence, I hope I didn't forget to tag anything, Knotting, M/M, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Mercenaries, Multi, Murder, Non-Consensual Drug Use, Past Rape/Non-con, damn these tags make this fic seem super violent, its cute too, mafia, the non consensual stuff is not between Jongin and Johnny
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-17
Updated: 2020-05-17
Packaged: 2021-03-03 00:06:56
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 1
Words: 24,508
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24235501
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LelMoriarty/pseuds/LelMoriarty
Summary: “Jongin’s hair was soft and black, his skin sun-kissed and he had the prettiest mouth Johnny had ever seen. Johnny couldn’t leave him, he really couldn’t.”Or in which Johnny promises to kill whoever hurt Jongin.
Relationships: Do Kyungsoo | D.O/Lee Taemin, Kim Jongdae | Chen/Kim Yongsun | Solar, Kim Jongin | Kai/Suh Youngho | Johnny, Kim Junmyeon | Suho/Park Chanyeol, Lee Taeyong/Chittaphon Leechaiyapornkul | Ten, Mark Lee/Nakamoto Yuta, Oh Sehun/Park Chanyeol
Comments: 4
Kudos: 35





	Gloves of Lace

**Author's Note:**

> Heyyyy. I'm back with another Johnny/Jongin fic because I like to suffer apparently. They're such a cute couple honestly. Anyway, I hope you enjoy reading this! Let me know what you think in the comments. (Also, I wrote this before Jongdae became a dad, so now I'm convinced I can see the future).

He took Johnny’s breath away every time he laid eyes on him. His mate was truly stunning, and Johnny doubted he would ever get used to it. It was not that Johnny was not handsome, in fact he considered himself to be extremely charming. But his face was more unique than anything, very soft cheeks and a pretty mouth. Jongin on the other hand was downright gorgeous, there was no room for questioning that. He was everything one would consider beautiful; slim and yet muscled, wide shoulders (though not as wide as Johnny’s), tiny waist, legs for miles, smooth golden skin, plump lips, the sharpest of jawlines and a blinding smile. He rendered Johnny weak and speechless. 

Jongin glided down the marble stairs like some sort of deity, long denim glad legs taking one elegant step at a time. His hair was product-free and soft, fringe hanging into dark, heavy-lidded eyes. His gaze was piercing, turning gentle when he looked at Johnny, who smiled up at him. Jongin was wearing a floaty, silk shirt with wide sleeves, silver jewelry in his ears and around his neck and black lace gloves. Upon the end of the staircase he reached out to Johnny, placing a hand on the alpha’s shoulder. The wispy fabric of Jongin’s sleeve rode up, revealing more of the black lace, although not enough to tell whether the lace ended underneath or above the elbow. 

Johnny automatically wrapped an arm around Jongin’s waist and pulled him closer. The pretty omega pressed into his side and let his mate kiss his cheek. Jongin indulged in Johnny’s closeness for a few seconds before his eyes turned cold again and focused on the three male alphas gracelessly kneeling on the clean floor of the lobby. All three of them were gagged uncomfortably and it brought a small, satisfied smile to Jongin’s face. 

The mansion was giant, and full of a luxury Jongin had never known, very bright with lots of marble. It belonged to Baekhyun, who lived here with his most trusted men. There was still so much room left—even if one day all the bedrooms were filled, Jongin could not imagine ever feeling cramped in this spacious place that still seemed like a castle to him.

Behind the three cowering men stood Ten and Doyoung, ready to intervene in case one of the prisoners dared to try something. Jongin had been worried about being unable to recognize the people who had hurt him, but as he looked at them, he recognized every single one of their faces without difficulty. It was them, Jongin just knew it. 

Johnny smirked when Jongin pulled one of the guns out of Johnny’s shoulder holster and aimed it at the first alpha on the floor. Johnny was proud to see how confidently Jongin held the gun with both of his hands; his arms did not shake even a little. 

“Just how I taught you, baby,” Johnny whispered, lips brushing Jongin’s ear before he gave him some space. 

He kept his hands on Jongin’s hips though as Jongin cleanly shot the first man in the stomach, then the second one, then the third. Johnny smiled. Getting shot in the stomach was a slow and unpleasant death. However, if it had been up to Johnny, he would have put them through a lot more suffering.

Johnny swept Jongin up into his arms, making the omega squeal in surprise and then giggle as he was twirled around. He kissed Jongin properly once they stood still again, strong arms keeping him in the air, one hand not so subtly on Jongin’s ass.

“Feel good?” Johnny asked. 

Jongin was grinning down at him. “I’m just glad they’re dead, but it wasn’t as fun as I thought it would be.” 

“Well, you’re the one who doesn’t agree with torture.” 

Jongin pouted and Johnny laughed. Jongin had a good heart after all.

“My soft omega.” He gave Jongin’s cute butt a firm squeeze.

“I’m not that soft!”

“Hm, sure.” 

“I need some air.” 

Johnny nodded. Still carrying his precious lover, he stepped over the dead bodies and pushed the doors open with his elbow. He let Jongin down on the steps of the front porch, not risking dirtying the pretty shoes on his pretty man. They walked out into the gardens with their arms linked, Johnny enjoying the familiar feeling of gloved fingers.

.

One year prior…

Yuta looked Johnny up and down with a raised eyebrow. 

“This is why nobody takes you seriously,” Yuta told him. 

“Just get in the car.” 

Yuta rolled his eyes as if Johnny had just done him a great offence and slid into the seat next to him. 

The beta had his long hair in a neat ponytail, revealing small silver earrings. He was wearing a black coat, turtleneck and a pair of wide pants and shiny shoes. 

Johnny on the other hand was sporting his favourite brown leather jacket with a hoodie underneath. 

“They’re supposed to take us seriously! The theme is businessman, not college drop out.” 

Yuta leaned back and pulled a pack of cigarettes and a lighter out of his coat pocket. 

“Don’t smoke in my car!!”

“Technically, it’s not your car.”

“The car then. Don’t smoke in it, it’s gonna smell bad.” 

“I’ll open a window.” 

Johnny glared and Yuta glared right back. They couldn't afford to be late, so Johnny reluctantly started the car and they were off, integrating themselves into the night traffic. Yuta was one of the very few people that was never scared of Johnny, no matter how much alpha authority he put on display.

“I dress well,” Johnny said after a while, slightly sullen. 

“In general, yes,” Yuta replied easily. Cigarette between his teeth, he lowered the window. “But they need to think we’re bougie, rich assholes. Hoodies are associated with casualness or laziness. They won’t sell, let alone work with reckless people.” 

“Ugh.” 

“Who knows, maybe they don’t give a shit, but we should not take risks.” 

On the next red light Johnny shrugged off his jacket and pulled the hoodie over his head, throwing it on the backseat. He straightened his t-shirt and put his jacket back on. 

“Happy?”

“No. But it’s too late anyway.” 

Yuta took a drag of his cigarette before giving Johnny a toothy smirk. 

Johnny had never considered the law as set rules, to him it was more like a challenge. In his opinion anything could be justified, even murder. Some people deserved to die, some more gruesome than others. The only thing that was absolutely and a hundred percent never justifiable under any circumstances was rape, which meant that human trafficking really was one of Johnny’s least favourite things, whereas getting rid of such scum was his favourite. Recently, some Taiwanese and French traffickers had managed to expand to Korea. Not only did Johnny find this kind of crime repulsive, these beasts were also trespassing into Byun’s territory. Johnny’s boss did not appreciate sharing his land. 

Byun Baekhyun spent most of his time travelling and making connections, which left Johnny - his right-hand man - in charge more often than not. Johnny was damn proud of the fact that Baekhyun trusted him to deal with this specific mission especially. It was a big one. 

They did what the cops couldn’t do. The police were restricted by guidelines and morals, something that made Johnny laugh right in their face. How could one limit oneself so much and then not even do a good job? Johnny and his people did all the dirty work. They were merciless assholes in order to kill actual assholes. Most of them had simply started out as hired guns until Baekhyun had recruited them one by one, a crazy vision behind sweet eyes; a dream to rule the underworld of East Asia, unbothered by authorities and minor criminals. He wanted to be on top of organised crime.

Johnny really doubted that these goals were realistic, but he had always liked Baekhyun, and cleaning the streets to bring order into the underworld was more than good enough for him. He enjoyed his job tremendously. 

“We should arrive in circa ten minutes,” Johnny informed Yuta.

The traffickers had taken over several rooms in an abandoned motel. It served as their temporary headquarters, and was also where they held the ‘goods’. Johnny’s fingers tightened around the wheel. A few years ago he would have loved nothing more than to put bullets into those useless skulls. Over time, however, he had learned that that was not a permanent solution. They had to rot them out from the root, which was why Johnny and Yuta couldn’t pose as normal clients looking for a pet; they had to be interested in joining their business and offer them reasons why it would benefit the ring. 

They had had meetings before to discuss details, but today was the first time they would get a look into how they worked and could examine the quality of the goods. 

“We’re here.” 

Johnny took a deep breath before exiting the car. He slammed the door shut and locked it with a click of his automatic key. 

Two men were already waiting for them, both alphas. Johnny raised a confident eyebrow at them, giving them a half smile. 

“Well, good evening, gentlemen,” he said with a casual head bow. 

The men only introduced themselves as A and B, which seemed fair since Johnny and Yuta kept their names secret as well, fake identity or not. 

They shook hands and led them inside the motel. 

“Interesting location,” Yuta commented as they walked through corridors. “Is it not risky to keep the goods so close to the city?”

“It's less obvious than some random warehouse,” one of the men assured. 

“The deal still stands, I’m assuming,” man B said stiffly. 

“Depends on the condition of the goods, maybe you’re trying to sell trash,” Johnny drawled, sounding immensely unimpressed. 

“We just don’t want to risk losing money,” Yuta said with a wink. “Excuse my partner, he’s pretty direct.” 

The men nodded and unlocked the door of a room. 

“You help us settle in South Korea, keep the police away, and you’ll get thirty percent of every good we sell here.”

“Exactly,” Yuta sing-songed, glancing into the room. “After you.” 

B stepped into the room first and Johnny followed. Yuta remained in the door frame with A. Better safe than sorry. It was clear that nobody trusted the other, but that was to be expected. 

There were young omegas handcuffed, lying and sitting on mattresses. They were all drugged, Johnny could tell. None of them seemed to even notice their presence. Johnny wanted to puke. Instead he put on a false smile and turned to the men. “For how long are they meant to be used?” 

Johnny estimated the average age of the victims to be between seventeen and thirty. 

“Depends. We have very different methods,” B said as he followed Johnny back outside and locked the door behind them. “These are the common goods. They’re nothing special. We keep them on drugs to be more compliant. I suppose a buyer could have fun with them until they become unappealing. Most people own them for around a year before they get tired of them. Some time ago though, we started also dealing in omega pets.”

“That sounds intriguing,” Yuta said. “What's the difference? They're for long term use?”

“Exactly. They’re better looking and way more expensive, too. What you'd look for in a pet is a very regular heat cycle and they have to have difficulties denying an alpha. It's pretty rare these days. So far everyone, who purchased a pet was a multi-millionaire or something! Rich people are crazy! Anyway, we train them for a while before selling them. You gotta break someone before they accept what they are. Omegas forget their place.”

“Fascinating, truly. I expect to have a look at a few examples as well,” Johnny said.

“Of course. Come along. We only have two at the moment.” 

They made their way to another room. There was a boy that looked about Johnny’s age, and a young woman. The woman was handcuffed to the leg of the bed and the boy was sprawled over the bed.

The boy was only wearing an unbuttoned shirt. His ankles and wrists were tied and he had a ball gag strapped around his head, presumably to keep him quiet. Johnny doubted he would have made much noise anyway. His eyes were open and his head was lulling from side to side now and then, completely out of it. 

Johnny swallowed. He was taken aback. The boy was breathtakingly beautiful, ethereal even, he looked terribly out of place. No omega deserved to be here, but Johnny could turn a blind eye because he knew that they were going to free them. The thought of rotting out the entire ring sooner or later, somewhat calmed him down, but it ached in Johnny’s chest to look at this abused creature. 

It was not just his beauty. Johnny had left behind beautiful things before. No, there was something in his eyes, a spark, a sign that he had not given up just yet. This omega was never going to truly submit, no matter how weak his body was.

“What’s the gag for?” Yuta questioned. 

“He bites. He’s a fighter, this one. We usually don’t like drugging the pets because they don’t sell well if they get addicted.”

“What happened?”

“We just had a little fun with him. He’s actually our boss’ favourite. His name’s Jongin.” 

Jongin’s hair was soft and black, his skin sun-kissed and he had the prettiest mouth Johnny had ever seen. A cute nose too. Johnny couldn’t leave him, he really couldn’t. 

Johnny startled when he locked eyes with Jongin. His eyes would have been pretty too if they were not red with dark circles under them. Jongin looked terrified. 

“He sounds interesting. And he looks perfect, too,” Johnny said, tapping his chin as if he was thinking deeply. “How much?”

Johnny heard Jongin give a desperate whine. Johnny looked back at him. His eyes were wet now and he meekly shook his head.

“He’s always so dramatic,” A muttered, while B told Johnny that Jongin was not up for sale. 

“He’s reserved.”

“How. Much.”

“Come on,” Yuta said, playfully elbowing Johnny’s arm. “We're not here to buy.” 

“I’m aware,” Johnny said, “but he caught my attention. I think these gentlemen would show us great respect by giving up at least one of their pets, don’t you think?” 

The men looked at each other. “We already have a client who will buy him for a million U.S. dollars.” 

Johnny carefully walked over to Jongin, who started to tremble. Something awful twisted in Johnny's stomach. He couldn’t even start to imagine what Jongin was feeling right now. “Would be a pity if his body was... spoiled.” 

Hurting the beautiful omega was the last thing Johnny wanted to do, but keeping him safe was more important. He was so drawn to him, leaving him was not even an option.

“A couple of fucks don’t spoil a good,” the man grunted, misunderstanding Johnny, who was slowly starting to get irritated by him. 

Jongin whimpered behind the gag when Johnny grabbed his arm. It happened within a second. The two men stepped forward in shock and Yuta had his hand over his mouth, trying to keep as cool as possible. Jongin shrieked, followed by sobs gargling in the back of his throat. 

Johnny had pulled out one of his flip knives and had shoved the blade into the back of Jongin’s left hand, easily, as if through butter, twisting it slightly and then slicing the flesh up to the tip of his index finger. 

“What the fuck was that for?!” B screeched. 

“Three hundred thousand,” Johnny said, almost bored. 

Something inside him just wanted to get Jongin out of here, get the fresh wound treated, get him a hearty meal and warm blankets. Instead Johnny wiped his knife on the covers of the bed. 

“We can’t- we- he’s reserved. Our boss-“

“We’re tired of middlemen. We want to speak with your boss personally,” Yuta chimed in, improvising.

Johnny knew Yuta was going to lecture him later.

“I doubt this bitch will sell for a million now anyway,” Johnny added.

“Three hundred is too little.”

“Okay. Four hundred, or I’ll go for that pretty face of his.” 

Johnny grabbed a handful of Jongin’s hair and twisted his face up, making him look at him. “He’ll be worth less than the common whores you keep in that other room. Whoever your boss is, he wouldn’t be happy with that, would he?” 

.

They had gotten their boss on the phone who had called it a “friendship price” before letting Jongin go. Johnny promised he would transfer the money the following day. They still had not seen the boss, but now at least they had a voice. They talked about their future plans within South Korea and how a Vice President of a shipping company in Singapore wanted to work with them as well, offering transportation. 

Jongin was trembling when he was heaved up and made to stand on his own feet. Johnny harshly grabbed him by the neck and dragged him toward the car, making the poor boy stumble over his own feet. He was still crying in the car. A and B stared after them until they had driven out of sight. 

“Shit,” was the first thing Johnny said.

He had made Yuta drive this time, so he could focus on Jongin. “Drive home as fast as you can, and contact Chanyeol.”

Chanyeol was the only other omega in their gang beside Mark, but Mark was currently accompanying Baekhyun and Ten to Shanghai for a business meeting. 

Johnny unbuckled his seatbelt and climbed onto the backseat. Jongin was crying hard, pushing away from Johnny. 

“I will never, ever hurt you again,” Johnny said quietly and reached out to unclip the gag from around his head. 

To Johnny’s surprise Jongin kept his mouth shut, tears silently rolling over his cheeks now. “I swear you’re safe. I just want to help you.” 

Johnny wasn’t sure where to look; The injury he had given this beautiful person, his pained face, his nudity? They had given him the key for the cuffs and Johnny carefully undid the omega’s wrists and ankles, ignoring how the poor thing kept flinching away in fear. The metal had left behind bruises and scratches. Johnny took his leather jacket off, this time with a different purpose. He cautiously covered Jongin with the jacket, who was now blinking at him with wide eyes.

“Johnny, you’re so goddamn vague,” Yuta snorted, before addressing Jongin directly . “It’d be a lie to say we’re the good guys, but we’re not inhuman. We’re currently infiltrating the people that held you captive. We’re on your side.” 

Jongin seemed like he wanted to say something. He didn’t though, he was utterly exhausted, confused, and still high. He let himself fall into unconsciousness under Johnny’s watchful eyes. 

.

Jongin kept his eyes firmly shut, even after waking up. He was not in the mood to see, or communicate. He just wanted to sleep until nothing hurt anymore. His jaw was aching after being gagged, mouth forced open for at least three days. The omega had lost track of time there, slipping in and out of consciousness in a drugged haze. Sometimes he would just lie there, and other times someone was with him, or in him. Sometimes they had coddled him, sometimes they had beaten him. 

He did not exactly remember how he got here. They had helped him drink some water and they had showered him. The bed was so warm, and the blankets were soft. 

Jongin had been pretty sure that he originally was to be sold during his heat. Something the buyer had been into and apparently found funny. Jongin knew he would go into heat next week, or maybe a little later. Even when days blurred into each other, he could tell when a heat was going to hit him. He was confused as to why he had been sold earlier than expected. Maybe the buyer had not wanted to wait any longer. Indeed, Jongin really did not want to open his eyes and face reality.

He curled into himself when he heard a door open. All Jongin had been smelling for the last weeks was alpha, a horrible, bitter scent. He could always smell when an alpha had bad intentions; they smelled of something rotten and acidic. It didn’t smell like that here. It smelled clean, and the person that had stepped into the room was another omega, whose scent reminded Jongin of daisies and hot chocolate. 

The other omega came closer and Jongin wanted to do nothing more than turn around and embrace the stranger because he smelled like comfort; it was like being with one of his own again. He had still been sold though, so what if this omega had been sold as well and they were both just slaves now? Jongin wanted to cry. 

“Jongin?” 

A large, warm hand gently touched his arm. Only for a brief moment. When Jongin didn’t move, his arm was grabbed again, more firmly this time. 

“Jongin, please wake up. You need to eat something.” 

There was no point in pretending anymore, so Jongin rolled onto his side and blinked at the stranger. He was tall and bulky and had fluffy pink hair like cotton candy. He smiled with all his teeth. Jongin didn’t feel as freaked out as he should have been; this omega had a kind aura, although there was something dark about him too. 

“You must be hungry.”

Jongin shook his head. 

“When’s the last time you ate?” 

“I don’t remember.” 

Jongin’s voice was hoarse from not using it for so long. He was a little bit hungry, but he also felt sick. 

“I’m Chanyeol, by the way.” 

Chanyeol raked his gaze over Jongin’s body with concern. Jongin felt a little self-conscious and pulled the blanket up to his chin. 

“Don’t be scared. You’re safe here.” 

Jongin snorted. “Safe from what?” 

This might be a nicer room, but he was still caged. 

“They didn’t explain?”

Jongin just frowned at Chanyeol. 

“Maybe you forgot,” Chanyeol said. “We want to help you. You’re free to leave whenever you want, but these people that had you are dangerous and they’re still out there. I advice you to stay with us until we’ve taken care of them.” 

Jongin frowned. Nothing made sense. 

“You got a family you can go back to? How did you even end up... there?”

Jongin felt overwhelmed. He didn’t know what to do. He didn’t even know where he was, didn’t remember his family, didn’t know anything. He couldn’t help himself, and he burst into tears, covering his face with his hands. Chanyeol acted on his instincts and looped his arms around him, trying to comfort him with a hug and his scent. The message was clear: you’re not alone. 

“I don’t know,” Jongin sniffled once he had calmed down a little. 

They remained like this for several minutes. Jongin shyly told Chanyeol that he was stressed about his impending heat since it was such a terrible inconvenience. Chanyeol promised him that one of his friends would take care of him, and that if he did not want that, Chanyeol or one of the betas that lived here would hold and cuddle him until it was over. There was something so comforting about talking to another omega, it helped Jongin to relax. 

Chanyeol told him about Byun’s gang. A group of mercenaries who took out the worst kind of criminals, but also took smaller disturbances. Apparently Chanyeol had just come back from killing a teacher who had repeatedly molested a young student. For some reason it didn’t scare Jongin at all, it made him feel safe instead. Chanyeol admitted that not all of their actions were as heroic, but Jongin didn’t mind. Chanyeol told him about Johnny and Yuta, the two boys who had set him free. Chanyeol and Mark were the only omegas of the gang, which made sense. In this line of work, it was just easier to be an alpha. Baekhyun was an alpha, along with Johnny, Donghyuck, Ten, Doyoung, Jongdae and Lucas. The only other beta apart from Yuta was a boy named Taeyong. 

“We have more members,” Chanyeol said, “but they don’t live here.”

Jongin looked around. The room was very pretty, fancier than anything he could remember ever sleeping in. He was curious about the rest of the house. 

“You feel like eating yet?” Chanyeol asked, and Jongin nodded sheepishly. 

Chanyeol helped him get out of the bed and stand. 

Jongin felt fragile, and he hated it. Someone had dressed him in sweatpants that were too big on him and a sweater, also a little too loose. 

“How’s your hand?” Chanyeol asked while helping Jongin pull the pants up higher and tying the strings of the waistband tighter, to prevent it from slipping over his skinny hips. 

“Hurts a bit, but it’s fine,” Jongin replied. 

His left hand was bandaged. It looked professionally done, not as messy as he had presumed. He suddenly remembered how he had gotten that injury in the first place and he felt a little sick again. 

“You know why he did that, right? Johnny couldn’t see any other option to get you out.” 

“And I’m thankful. It’s just- I don’t know.” 

“He can be a little intimidating.” 

“A little...” 

Jongin had one arm slung around Chanyeol’s shoulder to steady himself as they made their way into the kitchen. He was embarrassed, but Chanyeol reassured him that nobody would judge him. He had been tied to a bed for a relatively long time after all, only made to stand to get dragged into a bathroom. There it was again, that feeling of weakness that made Jongin’s stomach twist. 

.

Jongdae sat next to Lucas on the kitchen table, watching Johnny make coffee. Not an unusual sight. Jongdae frowned at him nonetheless, half amused, half concerned. He was pretty sure that this was his second thermos of coffee today. 

“So you’re just gonna drink another liter,” Jongdae asked.

“There is no such thing as too much coffee.” 

“There is.” 

“Limitations are an illusion,” Lucas added, nodding to himself. 

“Don’t encourage him.” 

Johnny filled his mug that said ‘hot stuff’ on it with the freshly brewed coffee and maintained stubborn eye contact with Jongdae as he sipped on it. 

Jongdae rolled his eyes and Lucas treated himself to some coffee as well, but he took his with a sugar cube and milk that Johnny had put on the table for him. Lucas was wearing black skinny jeans that were ripped at his knees and a checkered pajama top. It was just past 10am, and Jongdae had not quite managed to get ready either, hair a mess and mismatched socks on his feet. Johnny on the other hand was fully dressed in a sweatshirt, his nicest pair of slacks, and his usual assembly on silver jewelry. When Jongdae had suggested that they should wake Jongin up, Johnny had immediately run back into his room in a frenzy to make himself look presentable. He wanted the omega to see him from his best side. Something inside him really wanted to impress Jongin.

Chanyeol had been a big help the last two days, assisting Johnny from carrying Jongin into the house to washing him and taking care of his wounds. Lucas - being the overly enthusiastic boy he was - had tried hard to be of help as well, but soon realized that giving them space was the best thing he could do. Jongin had been awake a couple of times, never longer than a few minutes. 

“What do you think takes them so long?” Johnny asked, sitting down with his coffee. 

“You’re never that annoying with Mark or Chanyeol,” Lucas teased, leaning in closer, elbows on the table. 

Lucas had that wide, friendly smile, but his mischievous eyes betrayed him. “Shut up,” Johnny grumbled, slumping in his chair. He lightly bit the inside of his cheek. He couldn’t remember the last time he had been this nervous.

“Maybe he hates it here,” Jongdae said, only to stress Johnny out some more. 

Johnny indeed looked at him with wide eyes for a brief moment. 

“Since when are you so impatient?” 

“He has a crush, hyung!” Lucas squealed. 

“That’s impossible,” Johnny remarked. “I haven’t even talked to him yet. Like yeah, I said a few things to him, but that doesn’t count.” 

Jongdae raised a perfect eyebrow at Johnny, before simply smiling and looking away. 

“What was that?” 

Jongdae started inspecting his nails. “Nothing. You’ll know.”

“So it is not nothing.” 

Jongdae didn’t bother answering this time, although he never stopped smiling. Johnny found that very suspicious. 

He didn’t have the time to ponder over it. Hearing footsteps and quiet chatter, he jumped up, almost causing the chair to topple over. He was too mesmerized by Jongin to be embarrassed though. Of course Jongin was not the first beautiful person he had ever seen, he had no explanation as to why Jongin had that effect on him. 

Jongin was still a little wobbly on his legs, so Chanyeol was supporting him with an arm around him. Lucas beamed at them, leaning across the table and stretching out his large hand. 

“Hi! I’m Lucas!!” 

Jongin swallowed, hesitantly reaching out. Chanyeol noticed the way Jongin was trembling, and gently pushed him down into one of the free chairs before he could touch Lucas. “Let’s get you something to eat first!” Chanyeol said loudly, “We have congee.” 

Jongin smiled at him mildly, feeling a lot colder when Chanyeol moved away to go to the stove. Jongdae and Johnny introduced themselves as well, and Jongin mumbled his own name, doing his best to avoid looking anyone in the eye. 

“I'm sorry about your hand,” Johnny said to Jongin, sitting back down when Lucas pulled on his sleeve. 

“It’s fine, really,” Jongin said quietly, “Chanyeol told me- he told me you had to. Thank you for getting me out.” 

Johnny nodded. “It’s the least I could do.” 

Jongin spoke in such a stilted manner, it made Johnny feel a little sad. He wished Jongin wasn’t a stranger.

“If you’re ready to talk about it, if you want, we can explain the situation to you,” Jongdae offered. 

Chanyeol placed a bowl of hot mushroom congee in front of Jongin and a glass of water. Jongin thanked him, and suddenly he looked a lot less timid, as he picked up his spoon. “I’m ready to talk about it.”

The coldness in his voice startled Johnny. “I’ll kill everyone who hurt you,” Johnny promised, not thinking at all. 

Johnny didn’t know what overcame him, he felt enraged by the fact that someone had touched Jongin, someone had hit him, they had imprisoned him. And now such a lovely, soft thing had a gaze of steel. 

“Go ahead,” Jongin said. 

Pride swelled in Johnny’s chest and his heart was beating faster as he received his first smile from Jongin. Jongin had smiled at him. Jongdae kicked him under the table and Lucas and Chanyeol tried not to laugh. 

Jongin and Johnny exchanged coy smiles that meant the world to Johnny. He wanted to tell Jongin a hundred things, things he was too embarrassed to voice, things he didn’t know how to express. 

Throughout their little breakfast, he tried hard not to stare at Jongin. He didn’t want him to think he was a creep, although he probably kind of was. The omega was incredibly enticing, even now in his cozy clothes and mussed up hair, stirring around in his bowl of food and listening to their conversation. Johnny noticed that Jongin wasn’t eating as much as he should, which was understandable. After not eating for a while he had to get used to it first. Stuffing his face now would probably just make him sick.  
Meanwhile Lucas inhaled three bowls of congee that he had drowned in hot sauce. 

Jongdae explained their plan to Jongin, about finding the people in charge of the trafficking ring by placing Johnny and Yuta into their midst, getting the rest of the omegas out and eventually getting rid of all the traffickers involved. 

“I wanted to be part of the operation,” Lucas sulked. “But Baekhyun hyung got me stuck on this stalker case.” 

Jongdae grinned at Lucas, eyes sparkling. “I love those. Once I scared this one jerk so much he peed himself.” 

“So you keep telling us,” Chanyeol muttered with an eye roll. 

“Well, Jongin hasn’t heard the story yet!”

“Now he has!” 

“SO IT WAS A FINE THURSDAY MORNING WHEN BAEKHYUN TEXTED ME AND-“

“Do you like spicy food?” Lucas asked. “It tastes so much better with hot sauce.” 

“I’ll try some,” Jongin whispered back. 

“...SO I WENT TO THIS GUY’S HOUSE, CLIMBED THROUGH THE WINDOW!”

“When is Baekhyun coming home?” Johnny asked, checking his phone. 

“I’M NOT EVEN GOOD WITH KNIVES BUT THEY DIDN’T KNOW THAT, SO-“

“Should be back in a couple of hours,” Chanyeol replied. “I’m excited to introduce Jongin to Mark. He’s a sweetheart, really.” 

“Usually everyone who stays here has dinner together, if possible. But I don’t want Jongin to get overwhelmed.” 

“AND THEN HE PISSED HIMSELF AND SWORE TO LEAVE HIS EX ALONE!” 

Lucas applauded Jongdae’s story and then finished Jongin’s leftover food. 

Johnny was pretty sure that Jongin had a fond look on his face while watching Lucas eat. But he was also sure that Jongin had flinched away when Lucas had reached for his bowl of congee, shying away from possible skin contact. 

Jongin told Johnny not to worry about him.

“You’ll let us know if you’re uncomfortable with anything, right? Please tell us,” Chanyeol insisted. 

Jongin nodded. “I promise.” 

“You’re not the first person we’re taking in to protect,” Lucas told Jongin. 

Jongin seemed to get used to Lucas’ bright smile, feeling less threatened by it. 

Jongdae snorted and hit the back of Lucas’ head. “We? You mean WE decided to take YOU under our wing for a while and you just never left.” 

Jongdae was only joking. Lucas started whining and nudged his head against Jongdae’s shoulder, until the older gave him the attention he wanted by wrapping an arm around him. 

“He’s right though,” Chanyeol explained to Jongin. “As I said, we want to help you and we’ve helped people before.” 

“You guys pick and choose who to help,” Jongin suddenly said. 

Johnny felt something tighten in his chest when Jongin directly looked at him. Johnny didn’t feel bad about leaving the other omegas behind. For now it was for the greater good, but no omega had ever looked at Johnny the way Jongin was right now, cold and unimpressed. Johnny didn’t feel guilty, but he also didn‘t want Jongin to look at him like that either. 

“That’s right,” Jongdae replied matter of factly. “We’re not a fucking shelter, we do some fucked up shit, but a lot of times we do some good. Johnny thought you were cute and it saved your ass. Sometimes it’s just like that.” 

Jongin seemed to shrink into himself a little bit at that, but he wasn’t quite withdrawing. “I’m not ungrateful for a second chance.” 

“Anyway!” Chanyeol said loudly. “Any coffee left?” 

.

Jongin spent the rest of the day in his room again. Chanyeol had checked on him twice, asking if he needed anything. The third time Chanyeol knocked on the door it was just before midnight. 

“Um, Baekhyun is back,” Chanyeol said. “He’d like to meet you. Discuss some stuff, you know?” 

Jongin nodded, sitting up. He was about to force himself out of bed when a delicate hand was placed on Chanyeol’s shoulder. Baekhyun was lean, not very tall, mischief sparkling in his eyes. He was wearing wide trousers and a wide t-shirt, making him appear smaller than he probably was. Baekhyun was very pretty with his black hair and mild smirk. Jongin was not sure what he had expected, maybe slicked back hair and a suit, many rings, a mafia boss like in the movies. Baekhyun looked young and his voice was playful when he spoke. 

“Jongin, was it!? Hi! I’m Baekhyun, I run this entire shit show, how ya doing? Also, feel free to call me hyung!” 

He left the door frame, walking toward the bed, coming to a halt halfway there. “Don’t get up, you should rest. Gosh, you do look adorable, I’d totally squish your cheeks, but I must smell very unpleasant to you right now.” 

Baekhyun had his hands on his hips. He glanced over his shoulder, before focusing on Jongin again, grinning. There were two other boys in the doorframe next to Chanyeol. 

“That’s Mark and Ten. Mark, sweetie, you can come closer.” 

Jongin was thankful for Chanyeol and Mark balancing out the Alpha smell intruding into the room. 

“I want you to feel at home here,” Baekhyun continued. “So. A few things. Unless it’s really necessary, I won’t be sending Mark and Chanyeol out, okay? So you always have someone you can be comfortable with here. Once you’re up for it you’ll meet the entire house. We also have people outside of it, but you’ll get to know them over time. You can obviously leave whenever you wish, but I’d advise you to wait until Johnny and Yuta have completed their... task. You’re free to stay after that, if - and that’s a big if - you are willing to contribute to our cause, in which case someone will train you to be more fit for this, uh, let’s call it a lifestyle. Chanyeol told me we got a little problem though. You’re going into heat soon, is that so?” 

So Baekhyun was very direct. His cheerful and open demeanor could not hide the authority he held, or his strength as an alpha. Even among all these other alphas, his smell was thick. Jongin was glad that he was keeping his distance for now, Jongin wouldn’t have been able to look him in the eye, he might have bowed his head in submission. That would have been terribly embarrassing, especially considering he’s been so resilient, not letting himself be intimidated.

“Yes,” Jongin replied.

“What do you want to do about it?” 

“I’m not sure yet. I’ll probably just spend it alone.”

“That’s a little extreme.” 

Baekhyun looked terribly concerned. Jongin found it kind of sweet of him. “Chanyeol will be there for you, okay? Mark?” 

“Definitely,” Mark said immediately. “We’re gonna take care of you if that‘s your wish.” 

Jongin smiled at them. Of course they could not truly help him with his heat, but their presence would be calming and at least give him body contact and warmth. 

“Alright,” Baekhyun said. “If you change your mind, just let someone know. Sleep well, sweetheart.” 

Baekhyun gave him one last smile before turning around and beckoning Mark and Ten to follow him. Chanyeol asked Jongin if he was okay, Jongin told him he was fine and Chanyeol followed them out. 

Jongin tried to fall asleep for a good hour. He felt too restless to calm his body enough to fall asleep. He had been resting a lot, and although he was exhausted he did not feel that tired. He groaned, kicking his blankets off and getting up. He felt dizzy for a few moments, balling his hands into fists. He let the pressure of his fingernails digging into his palm ground him. 

The first thing he did was explore the room, though there wasn't much to it; a sofa, a big closet, a nightstand next to the bed and a table pushed against the wall. Jongin curiously opened the closet. There were only a few sweatpants, a sweater and a t-shirt in it. And underwear, still sealed in the package they had been bought in. Jongin was happy that they had organized a few clothes for him, but he wanted to wear real clothes. He wanted to go outside and feel like a person again. He couldn’t remember his life before getting captured. Had he owned a lot of clothes? He knew he had an interest in fashion. Jongin sighed, shutting the door of the closet and leaving the room. 

He didn’t know the house well yet, so he went to the kitchen again. He wasn’t sure if he had been hoping to be alone, or hoping someone would be there to talk, but he wasn’t upset when he saw Johnny looking into the fridge. 

His scent didn’t trouble Jongin. He actually smelled very pleasant, like a bonfire and something sugary. Maybe marshmallows, or caramel. 

Johnny looked up, having either smelled or heard Jongin come in. His hair was messier than usual and he was wearing a tracksuit and pink slippers. He looked a lot younger without his leather jacket or without the other boys around. 

“Hey.” Johnny looked bright and happy, a box with cold pizza slices in his hand. 

“Hey.” 

Jongin had no problem being tough when he had to, but in reality he was pretty shy. He liked soft things. Johnny had been nothing but soft to him, even cutting up his hand had somehow been a display of softness. 

“Are you hungry?” Johnny asked. 

“Is that why you’re still up, for a late night snack?” 

“Yup.” 

Johnny put two slices of pizza together like a sandwich and bit into it. 

“I’m fine. Just couldn’t sleep.” 

“Ah.” 

Jongin liked watching Johnny eat more than he himself felt like eating. 

“Can I talk to you?”

Johnny nodded, his face still so bright. “Please. Sit. No, wait, let’s go to the living room.” 

Jongin trailed after Johnny into the next room. It was big like the rest of the house, a high ceiling and modern furniture. There were a few plants too. They made themselves comfortable on the white leather sofa. Jongin touched one of the red velvet pillows. They were soft under his fingers. It made him smile. 

“Chanyeol hyung told me that you don’t like being with alphas,” Johnny said, making it sound more like a question. 

“No. Well yeah, but it’s fine. You don’t make me feel weird. You can sit next to me, you know.” 

Johnny had sat down at the opposite end of the sofa. He awkwardly shuffled to sit closer. Jongin watched him, amused. 

Being close to Jongin made it impossible for Johnny to look away. He was so pretty and smelled of honey and roses. 

“It’s odd,” Johnny started. “That you’d feel safe with me, but not with Lucas for example. He’s a lot nicer than me.” 

Jongin shrugged. “I don’t know. I really like Lucas, he is nice. But you’re the one that saved me. That’s what I wanted to talk to you about, why me? It can’t be just because you found me pretty.” 

If Johnny felt bashful he didn’t show it. “I couldn’t leave you there. I just couldn’t,” he said truthfully. “The idea of someone hurting you felt unbearable. I talked to Hyung about this. And. Well.”

Johnny put the pizza box down on the coffee table and pulled his legs up onto the cushion, leaning his side against the backrest to properly face Jongin. 

“We think it has something to do with our natural instincts. Like an instinct to protect you. Hyung said this can happen when we meet our mate, but it’s a very outdated view on mating. These days we don’t- I guess we avoid thinking like that unless we fall in love. I must sound like a creep to you.” 

Jongin shook his head. “Don’t worry, you’re not creepy. I can tell you don’t have bad intentions. Regarding me that is.” 

Jongin thoughtfully pulled one of the pillows into his lap, his palm idly stroking over the velvet.

“Yuta and I are gonna meet with them again tomorrow. We’re getting closer and closer to the man running the ring. We won’t let the government take over this time. We’ll make sure everyone dies before exposing the ring to the public.” 

The fire in Johnny’s eyes was terrifying. Jongin still found it charming in a way. That passion and his need to reassure Jongin that the people who had hurt him would pay, it made Jongin feel good. 

“Why are you so certain that this is what I want?” Jongin wondered aloud. 

Jongin’s words didn’t throw Johnny off anymore. “I’m not certain of it. But it’s what I’d desire if I was you. Don’t you want them to suffer?” 

Jongin bit his lip and looked down on the pillow. His hand had stopped moving. “I think I just want them gone. You’ve got a lust for blood.” 

“Among other things; yeah. You’re actually really soft, aren’t you?”

“Me?” Jongin rolled his eyes. “I think you’re soft.” He didn’t think Johnny was soft, he was more like glowing coal. “Very squishy. Especially your arms and cheeks.”

“Squishy?!” Johnny acted offended. “I’d ask you to feel my biceps, I have a steel body!”

Jongin let out a small, brief giggle and Johnny felt his heart jump in his chest. 

“If you did ask that, I’d almost think you’re flirting with me.” 

The way Jongin looked up at him with his dark eyes started little fireworks inside Johnny. 

Johnny played it off. “Don’t flatter yourself. I flirt with everyone.”

Jongin just smiled and it was one of his favourite sights as of today. 

“For real though,” Johnny continued, “if you need someone to take care of you next week, I’m here.” 

Jongin wanted to joke about it, wanted to be sarcastic, but felt how serious Johnny was being. 

“I’ll think about it.” 

Johnny seemed relieved. “Thank you.”

“Is it again that thing? You know the thing where you can’t see me in pain?”

Johnny‘s gaze immediately dropped to Jongin’s bandaged hand. He wondered what it looked like underneath, truly hoping he hadn’t messed it up too much. He wasn’t as familiar with anatomy as Kyungsoo, who seemed to know of every nerve running through someone's body, precise with a knife. Firearms and fists had always been Johnny’s strength. 

“If they hadn’t complied, would you have really sliced up my face the other day?” Jongin asked curiously. 

“Yes. I would have done anything.” 

Jongin swallowed. Jongin was still scared and it bothered Johnny. 

“Can I try touching you? If you can’t stand me touching you now, I won’t go near you during your heat.” 

Jongin thought that sounded reasonable enough, so he nodded. Johnny moved to touch his uninjured hand with his fingertips in the gentlest of contacts. 

“I don’t hate it,” Jongin mumbled. “You’re warm.” 

It encouraged Johnny to take it a step further and actually take his hand. Jongin felt tears, but he refused to let them roll. Nobody had ever caressed him so gently. Even though he barely remembered a thing, he was pretty sure that even before his captivity his lovers had always been crude, and although Jongin could appreciate that while having sex, he wanted to be pampered and showered with affection outside the bedroom too. 

Johnny withdrew his hand and Jongin almost went to grab it again. He refrained. 

“Chanyeol hyung treats me like I might fall apart any second,” Jongin said. 

“He always worries about us, he feels responsible for our health. I’m not sure why. Either way, I don’t think you’re fragile. You might be a little cracked, but definitely not broken.” 

Somehow Jongin found that extremely funny and he started laughing. Sometimes Johnny said such corny things. 

“What about Lucas and Mark? Were they also just a little cracked, or why were they saved?”

There was a pause. Jongin thought he might have overstepped, maybe they weren’t as comfortable as he thought they were. But then Johnny just shrugged and broke the silence. “I don’t think saving is the word I’d use. It’s more like giving you a second chance.” 

“In return for a service, yes.” 

Johnny frowned at him. 

“Baekhyun hyung told me that I can stay here if I became part of your organisation.” 

“Jongin. You’re free to leave.” 

“That’s what you guys say.” Jongin smiled, but it was a joyless smile. “The rational part of my brain has a hard time believing that. Don’t I know too much? What if I run and start dropping names to the NIS?” 

“In that case we’d have to locate you.” 

“And kill me?” 

“I wouldn’t let them.”

“So my life depends on the fact that you like me.” 

Johnny didn’t want to say yes. But it was the truth. He just nodded and Jongin sighed. 

“I’d say you’re no better than the assholes that had me before,” Jongin said. His eyes seemed far away, not even looking at Johnny. “Except that you don’t physically hurt me, of course. But that’s not something an omega should be grateful for, right? In fact, not getting beaten and raped should be taken for granted. You protecting me is not something to be proud of, it’s what you’re supposed to do as a human.” 

Jongin wasn’t moving away from Johnny, he wasn’t rejecting him, and he held no hatred for him either. When he looked at the alpha again Jongin even smiled softly at him. 

“Know that I don’t blame you or your friends for my situation at all. That’s the one significant difference. You had no choice but to save me, and now Baekhyun has no choice but to put me in this situation in order to protect this organisation. You guys never meant to take me with you, it just happened.” 

Johnny had no idea what to say or think of Jongin’s words. “I’m sorry,” he stuttered out. 

Jongin very slowly reached out again and Johnny automatically lifted his hand, fingertips touching. Jongin smiles at their hands. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad I’m here. don’t apologise.” 

“You can touch me,” Johnny mumbled. 

“We already established that.”

“Yeah, but you couldn’t touch Lucas.” 

Johnny had clearly seen how Jongin had frozen up this morning. Petrified at the thought of having to touch an alpha, even if it was just a hand shake. And here he was, looking at Johnny’s fingertips touch his. 

“You don’t stink.” 

Johnny stared for a moment and then laughed. “Wow, thanks.” 

Jongin chuckled and crossed his arms, letting his body sag and slide down the cushion just enough so he could comfortably rest his head against the back cushions.

It squished the omega’s cheek a little bit, Johnny wanted to coo. 

Jongin got serious again. “The scent of another alpha is repulsive to me right now. Scent has to do with attraction right? So all alphas smell sour and a little rotten. I think my senses are messed up.”

“Your body is protecting you.” 

“Do you want to know what you smell like?” 

“Sure. I’ve been told it’s like burning wood.” 

“That and marshmallows.” 

Jongin imagined Johnny sitting by a fire, roasting marshmallows. His face would be illuminated and he’d look especially warm. Johnny was handsome, but Jongin felt like that description didn't do the alpha justice. Johnny had a pretty mouth, a little unique. They had a natural pout to them that could easily turn into a sneer. The same way his eyes were kind and then he did something with his eyebrow and suddenly he was fearsome. The way the reddish lighting would dance off his features would truly be a sight. 

Johnny seemed to be very amused by Jongin’s reply. “Nobody has ever said that before. Mostly it’s fire yes, but also gunpowder and coffee beans.”

Jongin shook his head. “No. Marshmallows.” 

Before Johnny could say something else about the topic, Jongin asked about Mark and Lucas again, since they kept getting side tracked. 

“Oh yeah. Well, it’s their story to tell, so I won’t go into detail. But Lucas used to be in a really horrible relationship with another alpha. He was only a kid. Baekhyun found him a little over a year ago and took him in. And Mark... Mark might have also been my doing.” 

Jongins eyes crinkled warmly. “And here I thought I was so special.” 

A little wave of affection overcame Johnny. He was so unbelievably excited that Jongin was comfortable enough to joke around, although timidly. 

“Mark’s parents were on our hit list. So I killed them. It was a few weeks later that I found out they had a son. Before anyone could decide to kill him off as well, or anything worse, I asked Baekhyun if he could find shelter here. Taeyong helped me convince him.” 

Jongin blinked at him slowly. He had that warm aura that Johnny wanted to drown in. He was starting to get sleepy and nothing was more tempting than falling asleep next to Jongin. 

“How was Mark okay with all that?”

“He wasn’t” Johnny said with a sigh. “He hated me for a while. He got over it though.” 

Jongin was pretty sure that there was more to the story, but he didn’t want to push it. 

“You look tired,” Jongin said quietly. “I’ve been keeping you up. I’m sorry.” 

“It’s fine.” 

Jongin shook his head, a soft smile that Johnny felt was just for him. “Go to bed.” 

“Are you sure?” 

“Yes. I’ll be fine. I can’t sleep anyway.” 

Johnny stretched before picking up the trash from the coffee table and stuffing it into the bin in the kitchen. When he got back into the living room, Jongin was still sitting on the sofa. 

It was ridiculous how desperate Johnny was for Jongin’s warm touch. He took his chances and offered him a hand to help him stand up from the sofa. 

Jongin simpered, even looked at the hand for a millisecond before he stood up on his own. 

Jongin bid him goodnight and was about to go back to his room. 

“Wait.” Johnny scratched the back of his neck, hoping Jongin would not be offended by his worries. “Why can’t you sleep?”

Jongin swallowed. “I’m not sleepy. And I’m scared.”

“Of what?” 

Jongin knew that feeling, yet it felt so foreign. Something tightening in his throat, stinging eyes. He tried to keep it in, but it suddenly crushed down on him and he started crying. He was so overwhelmed, there was no space for embarrassment, or thinking about Johnny and his distress at this boy just crying his heart out, seemingly out of nowhere. 

It was hard for Johnny to think, his heart screamed at him to comfort Jongin, so he stepped forward and wrapped his long arms around the trembling omega. Jongin didn’t react at all, which encouraged Johnny to keep holding him. Johnny started humming and slowly swaying them, scenting the most beautiful thing he’s ever seen. He slowly lulled them into his pheromones. The sugary, burned smell eventually calmed Jongin enough to stop shaking. 

He knew Johnny was subtly influencing him. But he did it so softly and out of so much concern for the omega, to his own surprise it didn’t feel violating at all. More like an angel's voice singing a baby to sleep. 

Jongin wiped at his eyes and then very carefully hugged Johnny back, hands meekly fisting Johnny’s shirt. 

“Everything,” Jongin whispered. “I’m scared of everything.” 

“It’s gonna be fine.” 

These words were always kind of a lie. No one could ever possibly know what the future would bring, but Johnny made sure to put some of that alpha assurance, that authority into his voice. Jongin made the choice to believe him. 

“I don’t remember shit!” Jongin said. “I’m pulled into this, involved in some underworld bullshit! I don’t know anyone! I have been drugged, beaten and raped for god knows how long! And that’s the shit I remember? That is what my brain decided should stick with me? What about all the good things that happened to me? Friends, family? What if they’re looking for me? Or worse, what if they stopped looking?” 

The words came bubbling out of Jongin, they felt like acid and he had to spit them out, share his worries with someone! Someone who wasn’t as tender as Chanyeol, who would only cry with him. 

Johnny pressed Jongin closer against him. “It’s gonna be fine,” he repeated. 

“I’m scared that if I sleep I’ll miss something, or that I’ll wake up back in the motel. How do you expect me to sleep in a house full of assassins?” 

Letting Johnny hold him felt so good. It was relieving, Jongin felt lighter. What was wrong with him, that he felt so at home in a stranger’s embrace?

“I have an idea,” Johnny said. “Basically, Lucas sleeps with Baekhyun in his room pretty often. Lucas still has nightmares and he sleeps a lot better with Baekhyun around. Maybe if you could learn to trust us, you could sleep with Mark or Chanyeol. Since you don’t like alphas being so close.” 

“I like you. You smell nice.” 

Johnny chuckled. “I doubt you’d sleep in a room with me though.” 

Jongin straightened up and stepped back, wiping his tears away once again.

“That’s true.”

“Come on, let’s get you into bed. We’ll take the next steps tomorrow. I promise you, I’ll move heaven and hell to bring you happiness. I will help you find your old friends and I’ll kill everything that hurts you.” 

.

“Hyung, you wanted to talk to me?” 

Baekhyun looked up from the papers in his hands. He had his feet up on his desk, casually leaning back in his throne-like armchair. He had a habit of stabbing the surface of his beautiful cherry wood desk with knives. Right now there were three knives stuck in the wood; a Japanese cooking knife, a pocket knife and a cleaver knife. 

Johnny wondered what Taemin and Kyungsoo would say if they were to see how Baekhyun treated his blades. The couple was very fond of their knife collection and cared for them deeply, unlike Baekhyun who dulled them down and left them stuck in random places. He didn’t even know how to really use them, neither for cooking nor killing. 

“Yes, I did! Come here, sit with me for a little while.” 

Johnny stepped into the office. On his way he grabbed one of the chairs that were pushed against the wall and sat on it, across from Baekhyun. 

“What’s this about? I know the trafficking thing is taking longer than expected, but we have to do it right. If we make one mistake-“

Baekhyun just grinned slyly and silenced Johnny by putting a slender finger over his own lips. 

“You’ve already made a mistake,” Baekhyun said. “A certain, pretty omega.” 

“I’m sorry.”

“You’re not. Although I might be a bit agitated, I’m not mad. It’s not really your fault. After all, I don’t know how I would react, if I met my mate.” 

“He’s not-“

“Your denial is going to give me a headache. It’s all clear as daylight. That’s why you’re obsessed with him already. It’s why he enjoys your scent.” 

Baekhyun’s eyes twinkled. “What a crazy feeling that must be,” he mumbled, so quietly Johnny almost didn’t hear. 

“Anyway. Don’t let your hormones steer you. Even if you’re probable mates, remember that you barely know him. Court him first. Fall in love. If you don’t fall in love, I forbid you to mate. That’s all.” 

He waved his hand around and continued reading the papers in his hand. “You can go now, do your work. I’ll see you at dinner.”

Johnny sighed and put the chair back where it had come from. Johnny knew that kind of conversation, the kind where Baekhyun didn’t want the other to ask questions. 

Johnny did a little bow with his head before turning around to leave. 

“It’s astounding, isn’t it,” Baekhyun said behind him. “How often we alphas are actually the weaker sex.” 

Johnny swallowed. Jongin could probably live without him and find another alpha. An omega as lovely as Jongin would be courted by at least a dozen alphas and betas. An omega could acknowledge anyone as theirs if they liked them. The connection to their potential mates wasn’t nearly as strong. They simply did not have this desperate need to claim.

Johnny on the other hand knew he couldn’t live without Jongin anymore. The thought of Jongin leaving made him feel as if he was dying. If Jongin left, Johnny would go with him and it would probably cost him his neck. 

.

Johnny did his best to focus on work. It was actually a pretty good distraction. Yuta and he had always been a good team. Johnny was a composed man, had great self control. His adoration for Jongin was out of character, but it didn’t bother him as much as he had expected. 

Freeing Jongin was a mistake indeed, but he had no regrets. He would have done it again, and dealt with the mess and complication of it.

Some people called potential mates soulmates. It was an outdated way of describing it though. There wasn’t this one special person out there destined for you, this wasn’t how the universe worked. Johnny had never been naive. 

However, potential mates were very real, a response from their more animalistic side; a want burning right under their skin, an undeniable pull.

.

Jongin was starting to become very amused by the household he had landed in. Mark was playing Animal Crossing on the big screen in the living room. Of course they’d have normal hobbies when off from work. Jongin had no idea what he had expected, but this domestic behaviour was funny to him. It was surreal how Mark was playing video games, keeping Jongin company because Chanyeol was out to get some information. At least that was how Ten had phrased it. It was bullshit. Getting information meant that Chanyeol was hunting down someone in order to get that information, and depending on their level of cooperation, he’d possibly have to use unethical methods. 

It was strange to think soft, caring Chanyeol was capable of hurting anyone. He was so gentle. Jongin wondered how Chanyeol worked, how he got his hands dirty. How mean could he be? 

Mark - together with a boy called Doyoung - was in charge of Baekhyun’s drug business. But Mark had also cheerfully told Jongin that he loved plants and chemistry, and that poisons were one of his passions. 

“Johnny is all about guns; it’s really not as cool as he thinks. Poison though, can be really fun!” 

Jongin hadn’t gotten done much exploring the night before. Now he finally got a proper look at the house in daylight. There was a lot of marble, and the rooms were all so bright and airy. It was beautiful. 

He watched the younger omega make conversation with a villager and babble about a new outfit design. 

“Pink stripes would look very cute,” Jongin agreed. 

Mark was so sweet and enthusiastic. How did he forgive Johnny? What made him stay here? 

Jongin had only managed to sleep for two hours. He felt like he couldn’t rest, yet he felt exhaustion take over as minute by minute went by. 

“Mark?”

“Hm?”

“Can I ask you why you stayed with Baekhyun?”

Mark looked away from the screen and at Jongin instead. “Do you want to stay?”

Jongin shrugged. 

“I’m looking for reasons why I shouldn’t.”

Mark laughed. It wasn’t a mocking laugh, it was more as if he was laughing with Jongin. 

“There are so many reasons why you shouldn’t,” Mark said. “The fact that you don’t want to run, even though you know about Baekhyun’s business? To most people, knowing that would be enough reason to want nothing to do with us.”

“But,” Jongin started, and then stopped. He wasn’t sure what he wanted to say. There was something there, though, bubbling under the surface. 

“But what?” Mark said. Jongin bit his lip. He chose his words thoughtfully.

“But… it doesn’t bother me. It scares me in all honesty, but I think a part of me respects what you all are doing here. And…” he trailed off again. Mark looked at him. He didn’t prompt Jongin to speak, only waited patiently until Jongin opened his mouth again. 

“And I think I want revenge. I have this anger… and I want to take it out on the people who hurt me, I want them to pay.“

Mark laughed. “That’s probably good, I think. Revenge can be healthy sometimes. Besides, I doubt Johnny would like you, if you were just a sweet boy from next door.”

. 

Johnny grabbed Yuta’s arm, barely containing a squeal at the sight of Jongin sound asleep, that pretty head of his resting on Mark’s shoulder. 

“Gosh, he’s so cute!” Johnny whispered, although it was really too loud to be considered whispering. 

“Mark? Yes, he’s cute indeed.” Yuta raised an eyebrow teasingly. 

Johnny shoved him and the beta just laughed. “Anyway, do you know how embarrassing you are?”

“He’s asleep, it’s not embarrassing if he doesn’t hear,” Johnny countered. 

“Maybe he just has his eyes closed and hears all the shit you say.”

“Nah, he’s asleep, I can tell.” 

“You’re so fucking creepy.” 

“I’M NOT.”

“Hyung, you’re gonna wake him up,” Mark scolded.

Yuta walked toward the sofa and ruffled Mark’s hair as a greeting, who gave him a big grin in return. 

“He’s napping,” Mark confirmed, nuzzling his cheek against Jongin’s hair. 

“Come on,” Yuta said to Johnny, “let’s see what Taeyong is making for dinner. I heard he’s cooking today.” 

“But-“

“Let them be. Come on.” 

Johnny sighed. He kept looking at Jongin until they reached the kitchen. Yuta could tease him about it all he ,wanted. Johnny had stopped caring. 

Generally speaking, omegas were more cuddly than alphas, so Johnny wasn’t surprised that Jongin was being touchy with Mark and Chanyeol. Jongin had looked so sweet and beautiful, curled up against Mark. It made Johnny want to scoop him up and hold him forever. He wanted to ensure that Jongin could sleep safely and unbothered for the rest of his life. 

.

A week went by quite uneventfully. Johnny was out throughout the day, but in the evenings he got to enjoy Jongin’s process, he saw that beautiful thing unfold and come out of his shell. Johnny savored every bit of new information he learned of the omega. Everything he did was so precious.

Chanyeol helped Jongin change the bandage on his hand, Jongdae and Taeyong always urged him to eat more, Ten and Doyoung ordered him skin products, Chanyeol gave him a haircut. Jongin had been beautiful before, but now he was glowing, looking more alive each day. Johnny wanted to drink him up. 

Jongin had a thing for pretty, yet comfortable outfits. Johnny saw him eyeing everyone’s clothes, a yearning in his eyes. Johnny wondered what Jongin had done for a living before his memory loss. Either way, he had no money to buy himself something nice, so Johnny would just have to do it for him. 

Baekhyun had gotten him a phone too. It didn’t have a SIM card, but Jongin seemed to be content with just having wifi for now. Jongin liked reading. He had already downloaded a couple of books on his phone and he watched ballet performances before going to bed. He slept in Mark’s room now. At first Jongin didn’t want to, scared of imposing. It had taken them a lot of persuasion power, but eventually Jongin had given in. 

Johnny wasn’t sure if Jongin smoked. When Yuta had offered him a cigarette he had taken it happily, but he hadn’t asked for one again. 

To his - and Jongin’s - surprise he didn’t go into heat that week, which only meant that it could hit him any day now. 

“Maybe I don’t know my body as well as I thought?” Jongin mumbled one evening.

Taeyong and Ten had squeezed themselves into an armchair. Ten was slim and lanky and yet Taeyong appeared even smaller, curled up and pressing himself into Ten’s side. 

Mark and Chanyeol weren’t here, so Jongin just looked at them in envy. He had taken one of the velvety pillows and hugged it close. He wanted to be held too. He had a feeling that he was nesting.

“I can’t tell if I’m going into heat tomorrow, or in like four days or something. This is bullshit.” 

Jongin pouted hard. He was frustrated and felt weak. 

“It’s alright,” Taeyong said softly. “You’re not a burden for not knowing the exact date.”

Jongin snorted. “I can’t even do this...” 

“Hyung.” Taeyong looked genuinely upset. “Don’t talk about yourself like that.”

“Besides,” Ten chimed in, “I doubt it is your fault anyway. Terrible things have happened, your body will have some sort of messed up reaction to it.”

Jongin was glad that Ten did not go into detail. He didn’t want to hear pitiful words right now, he wasn’t ready. After losing track of time and being violated, he didn’t feel at peace with his body anymore. Looking at the mirror Jongin knew that he was exceptionally pretty, but maybe he used to be prettier. Better, somehow. 

A sudden sweet smell distracted Jongin from his own thoughts. It was a light, refreshing scent. 

Jongin made a noise of delight when he saw the source of it running around the corner and into the living room. The little girl tripped over her own feet once but picked herself up without hesitation and kept running. 

“Dan, hey!” Ten gave Taeyong’s temple a quick kiss before getting out of the armchair and greeting the newcomer. 

She hugged his legs and then gave Taeyong the tiniest fist bump Jongin had ever seen. 

The sweet smell weakened when another alpha entered. It was Jongdae, whose concerned face broke into a smile when he saw the little girl. 

“Danica, you can’t just run off.” 

“I’m sorry, papa.” 

Danica had dark hair and Jongdae’s eye smile. She wore a pair of denim overall and bright pink shoes. 

“Hello! Who are you?” she asked.

“Jongin. You look very fashionable.” 

“Thank you! The shoes are new!” 

“They’re lovely.” 

Danica came closer and sniffed Jongin. “You smell like a garden. And a little bit like mom!” 

She raised her hands and made grabby hands. Jongin was enchanted by her. He put the pillow away and carefully picked her up. 

Jongdae gave Jongin a look, making sure he was okay with this. Jongin smiled reassuringly and Jongdae exhaled, putting his shoes and jacket away. 

“Hyung, I didn’t know you had a kid,” Jongin said, who couldn’t stop grinning. 

“She’s three,” Jongdae told him proudly.

.

Johnny came home in a good mood. Yuta had not smoked in his car today, Johnny had made plans to take Jongin shopping, they now knew exactly who was in charge of the trafficking ring, and they were working on a list of everyone else involved. Today Chanyeol and Doyoung had eliminated the two drug dealers that had sold supplies to the ring. 

Johnny wondered if Jongin would be happy and proud, or if it would make him melancholic. 

Yuta had wandered off into his room. 

In the living room Johnny found Jongdae sipping tea, and Jongin gently holding Danica in his arms. She held a picture book in her hands, whereas Jongin looked almost dazed.

“Hey, how was your day?” Jongdae asked.

“Really good actually,” Johnny replied, squeezing Jongdae’s shoulder as he passed him.

“Johnny?” Jongin’s voice sounded small and a little hoarse. He smiled at the alpha and even stretched out his hand.

Johnny of course took it and Jongin sighed. 

“Johnny...”

“Yeah, I’m here.” 

Johnny bent down a little to get Danica’s attention. “Hi, Dan.” 

“Hi!”

“You wanna go to your papa? Jongin looks very tired. You did a wonderful job keeping him company, little one.” 

Danica’s face lit up and she hopped off Jongin’s lap. “Really?” 

“Really.” 

Danica looked very pleased and proudly walked across the room to her father. 

“I missed you today,” Jongin whispered, which was a first.

“Maybe your heat is really close.”

“It is. Alphas don’t smell bad anymore. They just smell normal. Except you.” 

Jongin pulled Johnny closer, making him half sit on him. “You smell amazing.”

Johnny swallowed. He raked his fingers through Jongin’s hair and the omega didn’t even flinch. “Let’s get you to bed.”

“Okay,” Jongin pouted, “but I want the pillows. They’re so soft.” 

Johnny chuckled. “Fine. Go ahead, I’ll take the pillows with me.”

Jongin thought it over quickly and then nodded, making his way upstairs. Not without waving goodbye to Danica though. 

. 

Johnny got some water and painkillers from the kitchen, where he ran into Baekhyun and Doyoung. Baekhyun was pouring himself and Doyoung glasses of whiskey. 

Baekhyun smirked at Johnny. “I assume you don’t wanna drink. Although you look like you need it.”

“You look more distressed than Jongin,” Doyoung said, sipping on his drink. 

“I’m not in distress!”

“Sure.” 

Baekhyun leaned his shoulder against the fridge. “You’ve helped Mark through his heats before, but this one is different. After all, Jonginie might be your mate.”

Doyoung snorted out a laugh at Johnny’s expression. 

“Don’t scare him, hyung,” Doyoung said, way too pleased.

“I’m not scared. Besides, where is Yongsun?” 

“She’s having a girls night out, that’s why Dan is sleeping over. Had to lock up all the guns and shit. Now off you go. If Jongin rejects you, let Mark or Chanyeol know, okay?” 

“Of course, mum.”

“Atta Boy.” 

Johnny rolled his eyes, picked up the velvet pillows from the sofa and went upstairs.

He felt a hint of panic rise inside him when he found Jongin’s small room empty. He looked in Mark and Chanyeol’s rooms as well, but they were empty too. He did notice that the blankets and pillows from the rooms he had just visited were missing. 

Johnny smiled to himself and entered his own living area. His bedroom had more furniture than Jongin’s, a big screen and some colorful plants. He also had his own bathroom and a little office.

Jongin had never been in here, still Johnny was not surprised to find Jongin in his king sized bed, buried under three blankets and a couple of pillows. Johnny stepped closer and saw Jongin grabbing his own hair in his sleep. 

“You’re gonna hurt yourself,” Johnny mumbled, although he knew Jongin didn’t hear him. 

He put the water jug and pills on the nightstand before gently removing the omega’s hands from his head. He gave him the sofa pillows to cuddle instead. 

Johnny didn’t dare touch Jongin.

“I’ll be right back,” Johnny said. “I’ll quickly eat with the others and consult with Baekhyun about some job related things, okay? I’ll check on you in between.”

Jongin didn’t react. It was okay though, he should get as much rest as possible. 

.

Johnny checked on Jongin after dinner, just glancing at the bed to see if he was still sleeping. Jongin seemed fine, so Johnny went back downstairs to talk to Baekhyun and Yuta, discussing their next steps carefully. 

“I do like to play with my food, but I think we should move quickly,” Baekhyun said. 

“Fuck strategy I guess,” Yuta said. 

“No,” Johnny said.

“What? This isn’t part of Baekhyun’s grand plan or whatever. What’s stopping us from just killing everyone involved? We’re assassins above all.” 

“Right,” Baekhyun said. “Do it your way. I do believe in learning by doing.” 

Yuta raised an eyebrow. “What’s that supposed to mean?” 

“How do you know who is with them voluntarily? What happens with the victims? Do we have a list of the buyers? They’re as bad as the traffickers. I put you guys in this undercover because I needed you to have access to all this data. And if you start killing one by one, they’ll realise someone is after them and go off the grid.” 

Baekhyun sighed deeply. “You’re both so impatient. Organise a way that’ll take care of everyone within the same week. And get these fucking buyers.” 

“You’re right, hyung,” Johnny admitted.

“Kiss ass,” Yuta hissed at him, fumbling out his box of cigarettes. 

“We could poison them. Ask Mark for help,” Johnny suggested.

“I don’t care how you do it,” Baekhyun said. “Ask whoever is available, or hire some people. Just finish it.” 

Yuta lit his cigarette the second they left the office. “There are about a dozen people in South Korea, I doubt they’ll be a problem to get rid off. But what about the assholes sitting in France and Thailand?”

“And Germany and Portugal,” Johnny added.

“Let’s get together with Junmyeon and Minseok to plan this properly. Kyungsoo said he’s working on some new rifles we can ship out to whoever we hire.” 

Junmyeon and Baekhyun were childhood friends and now they and Junmyeon’s gang of bounty hunters were working together more or less. Junmyeon wasn’t about good deeds and power, he just wanted money and the loyalty of the people he had taken under his wing. Apart from Minseok and Kyungsoo, he had Taemin and Kibum. Taemin was the only one Johnny refused to work with. They got along pretty well, but Taemin was unhinged and unpredictable. He was also a little bit too comfortable with gore, even for Johnny’s taste. But God, was he good in bed. Kyungsoo had gotten himself a handful with that one. 

“I think it’s a bad idea to let his new shit fall into the wrong hands,” Yuta said.

“True, that makes sense. Speaking of which, Kibum has several contacts in Europe. I’ll ask for a list of recommendations. And Ten has contacts in Thailand.” 

Johnny nodded. “I trust you to organize this. I have to take care of Jongin.” 

Yuta looked like he was going to argue, but then just winked at him.

.

When Johnny came back into his room, Jongin was awake, although he still looked like he could use some more sleep. He had his eyes closed, but his fingers were drawing patterns into the velvet surface of one of the pillows. He was humming to himself. 

“You smell so nice,” Jongin said again as Johnny stepped closer. 

“Is that why you’re staying in my room?” 

Jongin nodded timidly and finally opened his eyes, one side of his mouth quirking up. Even when he was needy Jongin commanded. He knew Johnny was whipped for him. It wasn’t like Johnny was really hiding it anyway. 

“I want to stay here and I want you to be with me when… is that okay?” 

“It’s more than okay.” 

Jongin sat up, leaning against the headboard. He looked so young and sweet with his blankets wrapped around him. Johnny sat with him on the bed. It was then that he noticed the disregarded clothing on the floor. He swallowed. 

“They were getting uncomfortable,” Jongin explained and had the decency to look somewhat shy. 

“It’s okay,” Johnny repeated and tightened the blankets around Jongin, keeping him warm. 

He knew that Chanyeol couldn’t stand clothes during his heat either, it really wasn't that abnormal. 

“Can Mark or Chanyeol sleep here until I go into heat?” Jongin asked. 

“Of course, I’ll see who’s free.” 

“Thank you.” 

Johnny crawled closer, close enough to wrap his arms around Jongin to hold him. Jongin immediately nuzzled closer, leaning against his shoulder. Johnny had never felt so important in his life, it was a weird feeling, but not a bad one. He dropped Chanyeol and Mark a text before putting all his attention on Jongin, combing his fingers through the omega’s hair and just looking at him. His face was one sculptured by the Gods, his cheeks looked unusually rosy and his skin glowy. If Jongin were to be seen walking through sunshine right now, people might mistake him for Apollo himself. This breathtaking creature let Johnny touch him. Johnny, with his rough and soiled hands and crude body. Jongin was celestial and Johnny was earthly and full of scars. The only scar Jongin had was the one Johnny had given him. 

. 

The next morning instead of too cold, Jongin felt way too hot. He had kicked all the blankets off the bed, only accepting Chanyeol and Johnny as a source of warmth. Chanyeol had taken him into the bathroom to shower, while Johnny replaced the sheets on the bed with water proof ones. They felt like normal sheets, only a little stiffer and they’d prevent sweat and slick from getting on the mattress. He had borrowed them from Mark. 

Chanyeol tried to put a morning robe around Jongin, but he straight up refused.  
“It’s itchy,” he had whined. 

So now Jongin was just sitting on Johnny’s bed butt naked. He looked a little flushed but definitely not aroused. The way he was sitting reminded Johnny of a mermaid. He could absolutely see him living in an underwater castle and luring men into their death. Even though Jongin wasn't particularly toned, he had nice shoulders and his thighs looked wonderful to squeeze. His waist was tiny and it itched Johnny to touch it. He felt a little bit guilty for staring at Jongin’s insane body proportions for several minutes. Every line from his dented waist and bony hips to the adorable curve of his small butt and never ending legs was elegant, despite Jongin’s hunched over posture. The uncomfortable part of the heat had apparently kicked in, making his muscles and stomach ache. He had one hand resting on his flat tummy and the other in Chanyeol lap. Chanyeol’s eyebrows were furrowed in concentration as he changed the bandages around Jongin’s hand. 

“It’s looking a lot better, don’t you think,” Chanyeol said, who in contrast to Jongin was wearing jeans, a sweatshirt and baseball cap. 

Jongin pouted. “It looks horrible.” 

“We can remove the stitches soon, it won’t look so bad. I promise.” 

Jongin didn’t say anything, just kept pouting. 

“All done for now,” Chanyeol said with a smile and pressed his lips to Jongin’s cheek briefly before getting out of bed. “I’ll see you tonight. Be good, yeah?” 

“Yes, hyung.” 

Chanyeol walked past Johnny and poked his chest. “You! Be good, too.” 

“Yes, yes, stop worrying. You and Baekhyun hyung are such mother hens.” 

Chanyeol grumbled. “Just taking care of you. Remember when Junmyeon still lived here? He was way worse! Be grateful I don’t make you drink detoxifying green smoothies.”

.

Jongin’s pain came and went throughout the day. He spent most of his time cuddling Johnny, eating and sleeping. Johnny planned the assassinations outside of Korea, went through a list of new jobs and divided them amongst their members. They talked a lot. Johnny told Jongin about his favorite guns, past jobs, Junmyeon putting kale in everything. They also went online shopping. 

Jongin liked autumn colors and elegant clothes. Something about Jongin was so expensive, and yet he was grounded. 

Johnny got to hold Jongin’s bare waist and it was as enticing as he had imagined. Jongin started to smell better and better, he looked lavish and fertile. At some point Johnny couldn’t control his own mind anymore, couldn’t stop thinking about all the things he wanted to do to Jongin. Jongin was so close and his dick and ass were just so out there. Johnny pulled him even closer after Jongin had whined at Johnny to take his shirt and trousers off too because he had deemed them irritating scraps. Not a leaf would have fit between them. Jongin’s body was way too warm, but Johnny didn’t even think of letting him go. Jongin looked more dazed toward the evening, breathing against Johnny's neck. 

It was dark outside when Johnny found himself under Jongin, the omega straddling him and kissing him. Kissing Jongin was out of this world, it was like a dream. His lips were so soft and he opened up under Johnny’s tongue so easily. It was wet and somewhat aggressive. Jongin was kissing him without any technique, messily and desperate. Johnny held his head with one hand, the other rested on one smooth, golden thigh. 

Johnny was getting hard, but Jongin made no indication to take this any further at the moment. Eventually the kiss slowed down, becoming softer. Johnny fully took the lead then, licking into his mouth, doing his best to convey just how passionate and serious he was about this. Jongin let him. Johnny rolled them onto their sides, placing tiny kisses all over his face before pulling back to look at him. Jongin was already half asleep when he whined for Johnny to get closer again. Jongin did his best to kiss him back until he almost completely drifted off. He looked so peaceful. What an angel, Johnny couldn’t wait to spoil him. 

.

Johnny was pulled out of his sleep by Jongin shaking him meekly. The smell hit Johnny like a ton of bricks, the sudden wave of lust was dizzying. 

“Fuck,” Johnny breathed, grabbing Jongin and holding him close in an iron grip. He inhaled his scent, teeth scraping along his neck and chest. With his tired, morning brain he could barely think straight and the intoxicating smell all around him wasn’t helping. Jongin’s thighs and his hands were wet. Johnny took two of Jongin’s fingers into his mouth, sucking the slick off of them. Knowing the omega had woken up in a puddle of slick was driving Johnny insane. 

“Johnny, please.” 

It was then that Johnny realised that Jongin was crying and it was as if someone had emptied a bucket of water over his head and he quickly pulled himself together.

“Shit, shit.” Johnny tried to wipe away the tears staining this beautiful creature’s cheeks.

“J-johnny...” 

“I’m here, I’m sorry.” 

Johnny put his hands under the omega and lifted him up into his arms to carry him to the bathroom. He wanted nothing but to take care of him.

“It hurts,” Jongin whimpered. 

“I know, baby, I know.” 

Johnny opened the vitreous shower door with his elbow and gently put Jongin down. Johnny let go of him to take off his boxers, leaving the omega to stand on his own, leaned against the tiled wall, for a few seconds. When he came back he made sure to loop an arm around Jongin, who complained that his legs felt like jelly. Jongin had his hands on Johnny’s chest, his face buried in the crook of his neck, letting himself drown in the fiery, sugary smell. 

Johnny reached out to turn the water on and set the temperature. Jongin didn’t care about anything around him, but Johnny. He could only feel his touch, washing him down gently, he felt his skin pressed against him, felt the beating of his heart even. Nothing else registered in Jongin’s mind because nothing else mattered. 

The water wasn’t hot, but Jongin still felt like burning up. Johnny wasn’t too worried, Jongin was in heat after all. Jongin was also hard, his dick was pressing against Johnny’s hip, his mouth sucking on his neck.

He ended up fingering Jongin in the shower. Johnny wished it could have been a little bit more romantic, he didn’t really mind though. It got Jongin even more worked up. When Jongin started to beg for Johnny to fuck him, he finally turned off the water and brought him back to his bedroom. Johnny used a towel to mop up the slick before he let Jongin get onto the mattress. 

Jongin was lying on his back, legs spread beautifully. His skin was still shiny from the shower. His hands were resting beside his head, balled into fists. Johnny settled between golden thighs. He kissed Jongin’s knobby knee once before moving on to the sensitive skin of his inner thighs. Jongin sighed, closing his eyes.

“Please, I want you. I want you so much,” Jongin moaned. 

He yelped when Johnny bit his thigh. Jongin was trembling now, cock leaking pre-cum on his belly. “Please!” Jongin sounded like he was about to cry again. “I need- just fuck me already, breed me-“

“Shh, I got you.” 

Johnny moved above Jongin, guiding Jongin’s legs around his middle, so he could hook his ankles behind his back. He touched one of Jongin’s fists, making him unclench his hands. He entwined their fingers, reassuring Jongin with a gentle squeeze. He lined his cock up and finally, finally slid home. Jongin cried out and came all over himself, whole body tensing. The alpha couldn’t help but groan at Jongin tightening around him, pulling out slightly to thrust back in. Jongin was the most amazing thing he'd ever felt in his life. 

“You’re so big,” Jongin hiccuped, pushing his hips up greedily.  
He hadn’t gone soft.

Johnny put his weight on his hands and started fucking into the omega properly, pounding into that lithe, slick body. Jongin was gasping and writhing, trying to rock back and match Johnny’s rhythm.

“Is so good! Harder, Johnny, please, please, please.” 

Johnny obliged, ramming into him harder, picking up pace. It had Jongin mewling. His mouth was hanging open. The noises of pleasure were lulling Johnny in, motivating him to satisfy and give Jongin everything he had ever desired.

It was still surreal to see Jongin like this. Jongin had lost all of his composure, there was no facade or concern, just pure want. For once Jongin didn’t overthink and just let the moment overwhelm him. Jongin was letting go and Johnny loved every second of it. The omega was leaking on the sheets, wetting Johnny’s abdomen and thighs. 

“Am close,” Jongin slurred, head lolling. 

His nails were digging into the back of Johnny’s hand. Johnny used his free hand to take a hold of Jongin’s dick, jerking him off with quick flicks of his wrist.

Jongin practically screamed as he came. Johnny slowed down, letting go of Jongin’s hand to cradle him against his chest. 

“I feel so full,” Jongin mumbled, sighing at Johnny grinding into him sensually. 

“Wait ‘til I knot you,” Johnny growled, going back to a more steady thrusting.

Jongin’s eyes rolled back in his head at the mere thought. “Yes! Knot me, alpha.”

Johnny dragged Jongin into a brutal kiss, all teeth and tongue, throwing his legs over his shoulders and effectively folding him in half. Jongin moaned at the stretch. Being this turned on, he could easily ignore how uncomfortably hot he felt and how all his limbs were aching. Johnny bit Jongin’s thick bottom lip to the point it hurt so much Jongin broke away from the kiss. He licked his lip and tasted blood. That, on top of feeling Johnny swell inside him, pushed him over the edge once again. Johnny was groaning into his mouth, violently pounding into Jongin’s wet hole. More slick was oozing out every time Johnny fucked forward. Jongin’s rim burned at the sensation of Johnny’s knot pushing in and out. Jongin moaned, arching his back and clenching down on the knot, feeling just how stuffed he was now. 

“I’m gonna- fuck, I’m gonna come,” Johnny panted, now deeply anchored in the omega. “Gonna breed you so fucking good, gonna breed you over and over again until all you feel is me.”

Jongin could physically feel him spurting inside him, his knot stretching his inner walls. He whimpered, baring his neck in sudden, utter submission. 

Johnny recovered from his orgasm as he let Jongin’s legs down. Johnny kissed Jongin’s neck. He knew Jongin’s current state was the only reason he wanted to be marked. Johnny couldn't do this to him, not now.

“Please.” Jongin sounded so broken. 

Johnny hushed him, kissing his jaw and collarbones and down his chest. He gave Jongin’s nipple a small, appreciative lick. Jongin was twitching under him. 

“Alpha...” 

Johnny wrapped his arms around him, cradling him, doing his best to calm him down. Jongin sniveled, weakly clawing at Johnny’s skin, trying to make him bite him. 

It took a few minutes for Jongin to relax again. He leaned against Johnny and let him hold him. He whined about being in pain, so Johnny stroked his hair, his tummy and back. When Johnny’s knot retracted he carefully pulled out, watching Jongin’s hole clench around nothing, slick and cum leaking everywhere. Jongin started crying again, he felt so empty and alone suddenly. 

It took Johnny several minutes of persuasion to make him stop crying. He made Jongin drink two glasses of water and texted Mark to bring them something to eat. 

In the meantime Johnny made Jongin come a fourth time by eating him out. Jongin was still trying to catch his breath when Mark knocked on the door and slowly pushed it open. 

“Oh my God,” he said. “It stinks in here.” 

“Says you,” Johnny taunted. 

“Shut up.”’ 

Johnny was about to get out of bed, but Jongin wouldn’t let him. Mark just shrugged and walked over himself. He had a plate of some cut up fruit and a bowl of fried rice. 

“You doing okay, baby?” Mark asked, petting Jongin’s head, not minding the sweat.

Even though Jongin was older, in a way Mark had taken on feeling responsible for him. Jongin pouted and gave him a cute nod. Mark smiled and left the room again with a little wave. 

Johnny tried to make Jongin eat the rice, but he straight up refused, shaking his head decisively. “Come on,” Johnny grumbled. 

Eventually he managed to coax Jongin into eating a few apple slices and half a banana. 

“I’ll eat more if you knot me again.” 

“That’s blackmail!” 

“Yes.” 

Johnny rolled his eyes, but it wasn’t like he was gonna say no. Perhaps that was the only kind of blackmail he’d put up with. 

Jongin started leaking more slick as they ate. Johnny gave him a big smooch before pushing Jongin on his back and trailing his tongue down his torso, not missing out on biting one of his nipples. Jongin squeaked, hips bucking up. 

Jongin wanted to complain, but whatever he was going to say was replaced by a moan as Johnny licked a strip from Jongin’s balls up to the head of his dick. He suckled on the tip for a few seconds out of pure self indulgence. He slowly lowered himself until his nose bumped against Jongin’s pelvis. Johnny didn’t have a very strong gag reflex, swallowing around Jongin’s length and starting to suck and lick without hesitation. He was rewarded by a string of moans and a hand pulling on his hair roughly. Johnny spread Jongin’s wet thighs wider and wriggled two long fingers into him. The squelching sounds of sucking him off and simultaneously fucking him with his fingers was obscene. 

Johnny pressed against his prostate, rubbing against it, spreading and cooking his fingers to make him feel fuller. He wanted Jongin to stop thinking again. In heat Jongin’s senses heightened, his mind was getting foggier by the second and he felt like passing out from Johnny’s scent. It was too much, and yet never enough. He couldn’t stop the tears from falling when he climaxed, his whole body felt aflame. 

He gladly let Johnny manhandle him, rolling him onto his belly and pressing wonderful bruises into his hips. Johnny shoved his rock hard cock into him. Jongin saw black for a second, too sensitive, but far from sated. Johnny was fucking him like a beast, everything hurt, everything felt good. Jongin fisted the sheets under him, silently screaming into the pillow as he frantically fucked himself back onto Johnny’s cock. Johnny felt himself losing control more and more as well, his instincts taking over as he wanted nothing but claim what his inner alpha thought was his.

He managed to make Jongin come screaming and shuddering by pressing against his prostate, circling his hips. The feeling of Jongin clenching down on his knot, coming on his knot- it was indescribable and caused Johnny’s own orgasm to crush down on him. He swore Jongin lost consciousness for a minute.  
The knot vanished a lot quicker this time. Not that either of them minded anymore at this point, they immediately went back to fucking like bunnies, Jongin on all fours with Johnny behind him, the alpha watching his cock disappear in the omega’s ass.

It went on like this for hours. 

Jongin was coherent again when afternoon rolled around. He even ate some of the rice.

They had slow sex in the evening, which involved more making out than they had done all day combined. They talked in between, Jongin’s mind seemed to have cleared. He used the moment of level-headedness to explore Johnny’s wonderful body with his hands. Johnny must have worked hard on getting so toned. His long arms were nicely muscled and his thighs meaty. As it turned out Jongin really liked grabbing and poking them. He also really liked the slope of his shoulders and the shape of his jaw and lips. Johnny was handsome, but Jongin finally took the time to look and realize that there was so much more to it. His pink mouth was small, his upper lip almost dainty. The bottom lip was fuller and incredibly soft. It was a beautiful shape indeed.

They were bound together once again. Jongin tenderly traced Johnny’s left eyebrow with his fingers, clenching around Johnny’s cock every once in a while to feel just how full he was, how marvelous the knot felt. 

Jongin was drowsy when Johnny pulled out. He only mildly protested as he was dragged to the bathroom and sat in the bathtub. Johnny filled it with steaming water and added oils that smelled like summer. Jongin absently played with the bubbles and slowly dozed off, while Johnny changed the sheets, opened all the windows and took a quick shower. Omegas usually didn’t really care about slick or hygiene when they were in heat, it simply was not a priority. A good alpha would take care of all that on their behalf; washing them, feeding them, keeping them hydrated, and in Jongin’s case he took care of his wound too, keeping it clean and patched up.

He sat beside the bathtub for a few minutes using a washcloth to get his precious omega clean. After getting him out of the bathtub and toweling him down, Jongin gave up on staying awake and passed out with his head on Johnny’s shoulder. Johnny just smiled as he carried him to the bed and protectively curled himself around him, kissing his back. 

.

The second day Johnny didn’t wake up because Jongin wanted to fuck. Instead Jongin was sobbing from pain. His skin felt a little too hot, even for an omega in heat. Johnny had to physically force the opening of a water bottle into his mouth to make him drink. He used ice packs to cool him down a little, which seemed to work. He let him nap all morning and Chanyeol brought them more food and some medicine. 

The entire day Jongin barely spoke, only whimpered and cried. During the rare moments he felt better he insisted on Johnny fucking him senseless. It seemed to distract him, and make him feel taken care of. Johnny felt utterly helpless though when Jongin would curl up into himself and the only way he would snap out of it was with Johnny’s weight on him, hugging him so close it was too tight, whispering sweet nothings. 

At the end of the day there was still slick and cum everywhere. This time Johnny took a bath together with Jongin, holding the omega and stroking his hair. Getting Jongin to eat today had been a lot harder as well, he had even thrown up because he hadn’t managed to keep it down. It had been an instinct to let Jongin eat out of Johnny’s mouth after the alpha had chewed the food first. It had been the only quick salutation Johnny had come up with. If Jongin hadn’t been in heat, he probably would have found it disgusting, but Johnny would have done anything to make sure Jongin stayed strong and healthy. 

Throughout the next two days Jongin’s moods went up and down, oscillating between euphoria and pain and more incoherent, desperate moments.

When Jongin didn’t feel like cuddling, he wanted to do it on his hands and knees because that way Johnny was able to reach deeper and go faster. He still liked being close and intimate, wrapping himself around Johnny, submitting and taking everything Johnny could give him. Regardless of their position though, getting bred made Jongin feel drunk in the best way. 

And Johnny simply obeyed, listening to all his whims, since he wanted nothing but to please him. The only thing he denied the pretty omega was marking him and it brought tears to Jongin’s eyes every time.

On the morning of the fifth day the heat was almost over, Jongin could feel it dwindling. Johnny was propped up against the headboard. His legs were splayed open for Jongin to lie between them, his cheek resting on one of the thighs he adored so much, as he looked at Johnny. They had put a butt plug into Jongin because he couldn’t stand the thought of feeling empty right now. He had slept with one the night before, too. It was a good solution for their little breaks. 

“I never thought a heat could be so enjoyable,” Jongin mumbled. “And I definitely didn't think I’d trust you so much.” 

“Well, half the time you were crying.” 

Jongin playfully punched Johnny’s knee. “Shut up. Usually heats just make me feel ashamed. Even though it hurt, you proved yourself and I could just... let go. You know?”

Johnny had never witnessed an omega be in so much pain during their heat. He wondered if it was usually even worse for Jongin, or if it was the trauma his body had recently gone through.

“What made you trust me?” Johnny asked cautiously.

“I don’t know. You have no idea how fucking scared I was. Still am. I feel different when I’m with you. You’d die for me.” 

“I would,” the alpha said and he was dead serious. 

Jongin almost laughed. 

“What do you like about me? You’re not allowed to talk about my physical appearance though.”

Johnny thought for a minute, just brushing strands of hair out of Jongin’s forehead. 

“Well,’” he said. “You’re unintentionally funny, the way you say things so dryly sometimes. You react with such obvious facial expressions, but only for a very brief moment. I just see it because I seem to be always looking at you. It’s cute, and kinda sexy. You’re so strong. No one suspects you’re scared of anything, you pretend so well. Honestly, sometimes you’re a little shit, but it's like whatever. You’re soft, so you don’t like to hurt people. You feel bad for not being a better person, it’s what makes you soft.” 

“What do you mean?”

“Maybe you’re more twisted than you’d like. You’ve seen the scum of the earth and it changed your entire perspective, didn’t it? Whoever you were before this, you were probably the nicest, sweetest, kindest omega the world had ever seen. But now you’ve seen what people are capable of and it made you harsher. It makes you justify what we do, and your desire to stay with us. But your core is still soft and caring. And in fact that caring nature feeds into the new you. Your compassion is the reason you want people to die when you think they deserve it.”

Jongin pondered over Johnny’s words. He probably wasn’t wrong. 

“And you like that?” Jongin asked, amused.

Johnny laughed. “Makes me go crazy for you.”

Jongin sat up and straddled Johnny’s lap, arms thrown around his shoulders. Johnny pulled Jongin down into a sloppy kiss and pulled out the plug. Jongin gasped, grabbing Johnny’s cock to give it a few strokes before sinking down on it. It wasn’t fully hard yet, but neither of them cared. 

“Did I tell you I love your cock?” 

“Indirectly, yes.” 

“Love your cock so much, it’s perfect.” 

Jongin moved his hips slightly, contracting around him to get him hard.

“I’m very happy about that compliment,” Johnny grinned, fingers tracing down Jongin’s spine. 

He leaned forward and licked over Jongin’s right nipple, who moaned, throwing his head back. He was now lifting himself up and dropping back down, starting to shallowly fuck himself. Slick was dripping on Johnny’s thighs, it turned him on so much. 

“It sounds so superficial.” 

Jongin gave him a look that pretty much said “don’t you dare tease me right now.” 

“It is superficial,” Jongin pouted. “It’s serving me well.” 

Johnny’s laughter was cut short when Jongin went faster, bouncing himself on Johnny’s cock like there was no tomorrow. It had them both gasping and panting. Jongin climaxed with a shout. Johnny held him by the waist, keeping him in place. He started licking and sucking on his nipples, making Jongin shiver. He whimpered pathetically when Johnny fucked up into him hard, rocking his body with every hard thrust. Jongin gargled, squeezing his eyes shut. He came again as Johnny’s knot expanded. They both knew that it was the last knot of the heat, in a way Jongin treasured it. The stretch, the comfort and hotness it brought, the bond it could mean. Johnny came with a low groan, fulfilling Jongin. It took Jongin’s breath away. Johnny was still inside him when he passed out. 

.

The intimacy and trust that can be shared during a heat truly bound Jongin and Johnny together like nothing else could have. The heat activated some sort of trigger in Jongin’s body, sparking a desire to mate. At this point Jongin was pretty sure that Johnny was in love with him, but neither of them knew what to do with that information, so it remained unsaid. 

What was a dilemma before, had a clear answer now. Jongin wanted to stay. He didn’t want to wait for his memories to return, what if they never came back and he'd wait a whole life for nothing? There were a few things he knew about himself; Feelings and hobbies, it was enough for now. 

The wound on his hand healed into an ugly scar. He hated the sight of it. It reminded him of his captors. Johnny still thought he did this, but Jongin disagreed.  
He still kept his scar hidden with a bandage, it was ruining his image. 

Jongin cared a lot about his looks. All the clothes they had ordered had arrived during his heat and the joy he felt was immense. Among his more elegant clothes he had also gotten some cuter items, a bear sweater and some floral shirts. 

He also started working out with Johnny and Chanyeol, although he didn’t plan on beefing up like them. He just wanted to move. It was like muscle memory, his body jerking to life with every beat of the music. He loved dancing, quick and sharp, yet fluid like water. He let Ten teach him how to use dance to his advantage in a fight. 

“Johnny is such a brute with his stupid guns. How Obi-wan Kenobi would say uncivilized,” Ten said.

Johnny was taking a break on the rowing machine, watching Jongin and Ten instead. 

“You may be a quick, flexible little shit,” Johnny said, “but you can’t dodge a bullet, that’s impossible. At this point you guys are just trash talking my guns to bully me. Besides, do you even know the focus and patience you need as a sniper.” 

“Are you a sniper?” Jongin asked. 

Jongin looked so good right now, cheeks pink, dressed in nylon leggings and one of Johnny’s tank tops. He was barefoot and his skin was shiny. He was getting into shape and Johnny loved seeing the process. He was a lot less lanky now, his arms showed some muscle, his still bony shoulders looked round and stronger. Through physical activity and regular eating his legs and hips had become a little fuller too. It wasn’t an obvious change, Johnny just happened to see Jongin in the nude almost every day since the omega’s heat. More to grab now. Thinking about it made Johnny wanna grab him.

“No,” Johnny admitted sadly, Doyoung and Jongdae were really good snipers though. “Come here.” 

“Why?” Jongin grinned, but stepped closer anyway. 

Johnny immediately reached out to get hold of Jongin’s perfect waist. Jongin laughed, putting his hands on Johnny’s cheeks briefly, before letting them drop to Johnny’s shoulders.

“Your sweat actually smells good,” Johnny rumbled, baring his teeth and nosing along Jongin’s stomach. 

Jongin made a face. “Gross.”

“Are you two a thing now?” Ten asked, hands on his hips.

Jongin scrunched up his nose cutely. “No.” 

“Oh really? We aren’t even a thing? So I can fuck other people?” Johnny asked, grinning. 

Jongin looked almost scary and Johnny was suddenly very aware of Jongin’s hands so close to his neck. “No, you can’t,” Jongin said firmly.

.

Jongdae and Yongsun were busy people. Jongin wasn’t sure if Johnny had been allowed to tell him that, but Yongsun was in charge of a small group of female spies that sold information to whoever was the highest bidder. Jongin hadn’t met Yongsun yet, but Jongdae talked about her as if she hung all the stars in the sky. She must be lovely, Jongin thought, and so was her daughter. 

Most of the time Jongdae lived in the Headquarters, sometimes he went home to his girlfriend and daughter. It always depended on whatever job they were working on. According to him Danica didn’t get along with other children her age, so she spent most of her time either alone or with her parents’ friends. These days she declared Jongin as her best friend and the omega was immensely proud of that. He had volunteered to look after her, since he did not exactly have any duties but stay in the house, which was frankly getting a little bit depressing. 

Johnny always tried to cheer him up with online shopping when he saw Jongin stare out of the window for a bit too long. Seeing Johnny acting so cute actually made Jongin happier than any item of clothing ever could, but he was too embarrassed to admit that out loud. Part of him wanted to provide for himself, but right now he didn’t know how.

Jongin and Danica were sitting on the floor at the coffee table. The little girl was doodling butterflies and Christmas trees with crayons Lucas had given her. She seemed to love her overalls, this time she was wearing a yellow one. Jongin wore a wide pair of linen pants, a shiny leather belt strapping it taut around his slim waist. His lilac button-down had a pattern made of silver thread stitched into the collar, more or less matching the belt buckle. 

She waved excitedly when Jongdae came out of Baekhyun’s office with Johnny. Johnny immediately knelt beside Jongin, loosely wrapping his arms around him. He could feel Jongin’s body under the thin clothes, fingertips brushing over ribs and hip bones. 

“What did you do?” Danica asked her father. 

Jongdae looked at her drawing fondly. “Nothing interesting, especially compared to what you’ve been up to, huh? But I’ll be gone for a few days tomorrow. Let’s cook something at home and watch a movie, what do you say?” 

Danica looked cheerful, her grin never leaving her face, as she took her father’s hand. She momentarily let go again to give Jongin a hug as a goodbye and Johnny a tiny fist bump. Jongdae winked at them before gathering Danica’s art and they left. 

“Where will she stay for the next few days?” Jongin asked. 

“Probably Wheein, one of Yongsun’s friends. I think she wants to teach her knife throwing.” 

Jongin snorted. He turned his body more toward Johnny to kiss him. 

“You’re so warm,” Johnny said. 

His voice sounded rough and a small shiver ran down Jongin’s spine. He climbed into Johnny’s lap, who laughed. Jongin silenced him with more kisses. He let the alpha roam his hands over his thighs and ass. Johnny smirked as he smacked one cheek. Jongin moaned, so Johnny did it again. 

“By the way, I have a present for you.” 

“If you say it’s your dick, I’ll leave you with blue balls.” 

“No. Wait, would you really?” He sounded like a kicked puppy, so Jongin affectionately pressed their foreheads together. “I thought you loved my dick. But no, I actually do have a present for you.” 

Johnny gently lifted Jongin off his lap and then helped him up. With an arm still around that perfect little waist, he walked Jongin into his room. Jongin kept nagging him on the way, but eventually gave up. 

In Johnny’s bedroom he showed Jongin an elongated box on his desk. Jongin’s eyes were sparkling as he watched Johnny grab it hold it out. 

“Is it a dildo or something?” 

Johnny rolled his eyes. “You really don’t love my dick anymore.” 

“I’m kidding. Sorry for hurting your alpha ego.” 

Johnny scrunched up his nose and Jongin couldn’t help but stare. He was so cute and… goofy. And deadly, he reminded himself. Johnny opened the box unceremoniously. In it lay three pairs of neatly folded gloves. The first pair was black mesh, ending somewhere behind the wrist. Little red and yellow flowers were stitched into the back. Jongin was in awe and shyly touched the beautiful flowers with his fingers. The second pair ended at the wrist and was of thin, black leather. The last ones were made out of white lace and had small pearls on the side seams for decoration. 

“You like them?” Johnny asked. 

“Yes,” Jongin breathed. “They’re beautiful. Can I take them out?” 

“Of course, they're yours.” 

Jongin carefully tried the first pair on. They fit perfectly, hugging his fingers tightly. It was like a second skin. 

“I know you don’t like your scar, and you’re already uncomfortable with anyone but me or Chanyeol looking at it. So I thought for now, and later on when you go among people more often, you might like this. Because you like clothes and you could combine them I guess? I know this isn’t a lot, but- um, yeah.”

Jongin smiled at Johnny’s rambling. “They’re perfect. Thank you.”

Jongin pulled Johnny into a small kiss. Johnny felt the slightly rough fabric of the glove on his cheek. It felt kind of nice. 

Next Jongin slid on the leather gloves. They were elegant and almost looked painted on. The white ones would have probably fit the best with the outfit Jongin was wearing right now, but Johnny found the leather ones a lot hotter. He took a seat in one of the armchairs while Jongin smiled down at his hands. 

“You look incredible.” 

Jongin looked up, giving him a flirtatious eyebrow raise. “I don’t think my current outfit goes with these.” He wiggled his slender fingers.

“I was actually thinking-“ 

“Yeah? What were you thinking?” 

Johnny swallowed. Jongin began unbuttoning his shirt, eventually shrugging it off and leaving it draped over a chair. The rest of his clothes followed quickly. He didn’t make a show out of it. Now only the leather gloves were left. 

People did not look good completely naked. Even if they were the hottest person on the planet, it would make them less attractive. Johnny thought that he might prefer Jongin without any clothes on nonetheless, he was thoroughly captivated by every single line of that body. He wanted to touch.

Johnny smirked and crooked his finger. “Come here.” 

Johnny was using that tone he wouldn’t dare to use if Jongin was dressed. It sent shivers down the omega’s spine. Jongin had his shy moments and he averted his eyes, looking at his feet instead. He slunk closer and slowly sank to his knees. It was a sight to behold. This beauty in front of Johnny took his breath away. The delicate, gloved hand wandered to his brawny thigh. He loved how strong Johnny was. He let out a small whimper when Johnny grabbed his jaw and made him tilt his head up. His alpha was so loving and rough at the same time, Jongin was so turned on. His alpha, he thought. The possibility didn’t scare him anymore. He felt himself getting wet. He blushed as he clenched, trying to prevent leaking down his thighs. 

“You’re so good,” Johnny said, chest heaving.

Of course he noticed every single of Jongin’s movements. The rhythm of his breathing, the way his eyes struggled to keep looking at Johnny, his fingertips digging into Johnny just a little bit tighter. 

“It’s okay,” Johnny reassured him, thumb stroking over his cheek. 

He slightly tugged on Jongin’s hair, who moaned, dick twitching and slick dripping. Johnny unzipped his jeans and pulled his dick out of his boxers. Jongin opened his mouth, tongue darting out. Johnny couldn’t suppress a groan. How did he end up so lucky? He pulled Jongin closer, feeding him his cock inch by inch. Jongin took it well, doing his best to relax his throat. He only had to gag a little. Johnny was so proud of him. 

Jongin started sucking, bopping his head and feeling the grip on his hair tighten. His legs felt like jelly, but he stayed exactly how he was. Johnny always took care of him and now he wanted Johnny to feel as good as he did when he was with him. 

“Touch yourself,” Johnny said. 

He tried to sound collected. Jongin went on to palm his hard cock, moaning around Johnny at how good the pressure felt. 

“Not there, baby. And keep the gloves on.” 

Jongin’s eyes rolled back in his head at the demand. His hand was shaking as he reached behind himself, eagerly wriggling his index into his wet hole. It was different to feel the leather instead of skin inside him, but it felt insanely good. He felt high, pushing in and out and eventually adding a second finger. Although he couldn’t feel the slick on his fingers, he felt it running down the back and insides of his legs. It was profane, Jongin felt his brain shutting down with every passing minute. He couldn’t focus on sucking Johnny off properly anymore; he was too far gone. Johnny was overwhelmed by the trust the omega was once again showing him. He held Jongin’s head in place and started fucking into his hot mouth. Jongin squeezed his eyes shut, moaning. His jaw was sore, and he could barely breathe. He was certain he was doing a pretty sloppy job fingering himself open, but he couldn’t care any less. 

As much as Johnny enjoyed seeing Jongin give up control and pleasuring himself, he was getting impatient and just wanted to fuck him. He pulled Jongin’s head back, baring his biteable neck. Jongin gasped for air with tears in his eyes. Johnny had no difficulty hoisting Jongin up by his neck and sitting him on his lap. 

Jongin’s mouth was so shiny, Johnny leaned in to get a taste of his lips. Jongin languidly kissed him back, letting him guide his arms around Johnny’s neck. 

“You’re incredible,” Johnny murmured, placing one hand on Jongin’s hip. “You look so good.” 

Jongin was panting, strands of hair sticking to his sweaty forehead. “J-johnny- Joh- please.” 

“What is it, baby?” Johnny stuck a finger in Jongin’s mouth, pressing down on his tongue. God, somehow, he even found his tongue cute. Then again, Jongin always looked cute sucking on things. Like a reflex, Jongin closed his lips around Johnny’s finger, blinking slowly and hollowing his cheeks. Johnny was going to lose his mind. 

“Please, mark me,” Jongin spoke around the finger. 

Johnny sighed and withdrew his finger, wrapping his arms around him instead.

“Please.” Jongin’s voice was breaking. 

“You don’t want me to-“ 

“How do you know what I want?” 

Johnny pulled back, hands cupping Jongin’s cheeks. Jongin’s eyes were unfocused and he was leaking slick all over Johnny. This wasn’t a decision to make right now. Jongin could barely think straight. 

“There is nothing in the world I want more,” Johnny said firmly, kissing Jongin’s nose. “Let’s wait, okay? Let’s just wait a little bit more.” 

Jongin let his omega side take over whenever he was intimate with Johnny, and in that state, he had a hard time comprehending why Johnny would deny him. 

“You still want me?” Jongin asked. 

“Yes, I’ll always want you.” 

This seemed to reassure the omega. They went back to kissing, Jongin’s arms still looped around the alpha’s neck. He lifted himself up slightly, positioning himself above Johnny’s hard length. Jongin could barely hold himself upright, Johnny helped, hands keeping him steady and guiding him. Jongin bit his already swollen lip when the thick tip of Johnny’s cock breached. It burned more than usual, but Jongin didn’t mind at all. He wanted Johnny to rip him apart. 

Johnny filled him up perfectly. He swivelled his hips, giving Jongin some time to adjust to the stretch. Johnny started thrusting up in earnest when Jongin had been comfortable enough to bounce himself on Johnny’s cock a little. Johnny gladly took over, holding Jongin in place as he fucked up into him at a ruthless pace. Jongin’s head was lolling, Johnny’s name falling from his lips like a debauched prayer. Johnny could have fucked him harder in a different position, but Jongin seemed to love what they were doing now, letting Johnny hold him while he throned on top of him. Johnny could drill him through the bed another time. 

Jongin’s body was rocked with every brutal thrust. Jongin groaned at the delicious drag of Johnny’s veiny cock over his prostate. “Shit, right there,” Jongin gasped, “Ah- Right there, baby! Faster!”

Jongin mewled, his whole body trembling. He grabbed Johnny’s face and pressed their mouths together in a kiss full of spit and teeth. It was then that Johnny was reminded of Jongin still wearing the leather gloves. Jongin’s right hand was still dripping with slick and he unintentionally smeared it all over Johnny’s cheek. Johnny made sure to keep this angle, brushing against Jongin’s prostate with every thrust now. Jongin came with a loud cry. He panted into Johnny’s mouth, thighs shaking violently as he let Johnny chase after his own release, serving as nothing but a hole to fuck. Jongin threw his head back in pleasure, imagining Johnny biting his exposed neck as he felt his knot growing inside him, stretching him wider. Johnny’s movements became more erratic, his jaw clenched and rough fingers pressing bruises into Jongin’s supple flesh. He climaxed, holding Jongin tighter than he ever had. His cock was pulsing inside Jongin. Jongin felt dizzy and he let himself lose balance, sagging against Johnny’s hold. 

Jongin was glad that they were bound together for a few moments, he didn’t want Johnny to pull out, wanted to keep him inside. 

Johnny pulled Jongin’s gloves off, setting them on the armrest of the armchair. Amused Johnny wiped up Jongin’s cum on his stomach. Jongin had his head on Johnny’s broad shoulder, forehead in the crook of his neck. He obediently opened his mouth when Johnny held his cum covered hand up to him. He closed his eyes and let himself enjoy his cool down by passively lapping and sucking on Johnny’s hand. Johnny kept his ring finger in Jongin’s perfect mouth for longer. The omega would have fallen asleep like that if it wasn’t for Johnny’s knot going down and him lifting Jongin off his softening dick. 

Jongin didn’t have the energy to complain, so he just let Johnny manhandle him. Johnny washed him and tugged him into bed. The last thing Jongin remembered was Mark and Johnny talking in cheerful but quiet voices. Then Mark slid into bed behind Jongin, hugging him. Jongin smiled to himself and shut his eyes.

.

Johnny was just coming out of the bathroom when Jongin woke up. He grinned at Jongin when he saw the pretty man sleepily blinking up at him. Johnny was wearing some washed out jeans, a t-shirt Jongin had ordered a few days ago and one sock. He held a belt and a shoulder holster in his hand and hopped closer to the bed one-legged as he pulled the second sock over his foot. Jongin sat up, clearly amused. 

Jongin reminded Johnny of a mermaid again; deadly, beautiful, faux innocence in his brown eyes. He pulled Johnny closer by the waistband and took the belt from him, threading it through the loops of his jeans. 

“If Mark wasn’t still here, I’d let you suck my dick.”

“How generous.” Jongin snorted but placed a small kiss just under Johnny’s navel. 

Jongin scooted down the bed a little to make some space and made Johnny sit on its edge. “I’m glad that you let him sleep here,” Jongin said, taking the holster from Johnny as well. “I still prefer his smell over that of an alpha.” 

“You like it even more than mine?” 

Jongin pouted, offended to be put on the spot. “Maybe! You smell like something burned, that’s not exactly nice.” 

Now Johnny looked offended, which Jongin ignored. He pulled Johnny’s arms through the holster and adjusted it a bit. Jongin’s hand wandered from the leather strap to Johnny’s chest, fingers trailing down hard abs and eventually resting his crotch. 

“I’d suck you off even with Mark in the room. That’s actually kind of hot.” 

“Don’t put ideas into my head.” 

Jongin laughed, tugging on the leather strap again. “Can I tell you something?” 

“Of course.” 

Jongin looked over his shoulder to check if Mark was still asleep. He lowered his voice regardless. “I want to mate you.” 

Johnny almost choked on air. “You can’t just say stuff like that! Don’t do this to me.”

“I’m serious.” 

Suddenly Jongin’s eyes looked wet again and immediate regret overcame Johnny. Maybe he shouldn’t have snapped at him. Johnny grabbed his hand and brought them up to his lips, kissing his knuckles. It was the hand without the scar. Johnny kept his eyes on the hand as he spoke. “You know what I feel for you. How much I feel. It’s hard, hearing you say that, you asking me to make you mine when you lose yourself when we fuck.” Johnny shook his head. “Don’t mess with me like that.” 

Johnny - a killer and (partially) head of the most powerful gang in Seoul – was begging an omega in his bed to not hurt him. Jongin’s heart ached. Did he really unintentionally bruise Johnny’s feelings?

“I mean what I say,” Jongin said. “I do want to be with you for as long as you’ll have me. But…” 

Johnny looked up now and wiped away the tears under Jongin’s puffy eyes. He looked tired. “But?” 

Jongin was just glad that Johnny wasn’t letting go of his hands. He was still holding him, still grounding him as always. 

“I promise you that I’m not lying when I say I want you to mark me, but I can’t tell if that’s just because my stupid omega body is responding to your affection. I’m not sure if I love you the way you love me, and you don’t deserve that. I’m so sorry, it’s selfish.”

Johnny wasn’t letting go. In contrary, he pulled Jongin into a hug, face buried in his warm neck. Jongin could feel his hot breath against his skin. He curled his fingers into the back of Johnny’s shirt. 

“Shouldn’t you be the one who needs comforting,” Jongin tried to joke. 

“I think I want your pity just as little as you want mine. I do like to spoil you though. Wanna court your properly. We’ll talk later, okay?” 

He pressed a longing kiss to Jongin’s lips before getting up and leaving the room. Even with Mark here Jongin suddenly felt abandoned and he hated how much he was already dependent. Admitting he wanted to be with Johnny was embarrassing. Jongin crawled back under the blanket and pressed himself against Mark’s sleeping form, inhaling the subtle smell of vanilla and roses. 

.

Johnny didn’t mind taking risks, especially when he knew that his opponent was a coward. He took a sharp turn on his motorcycle, sending gravel and dust flying, blocking the van that had just been about to leave, or rather to flee. 

Afraid of the crash the van came to a halt, the grill nudging the cycle’s rear. The fear in their eyes was like a drug to Johnny. He inhaled, swinging a leg over the saddle and jumping on the hood of the car. He was crouching, knees bent and smirking through the window at the people in the car. He had one hand on the roof, his other casually held a CZ BREN. With the way he was holding the rifle he couldn’t actually shoot someone, but he doubted they really cared. His fingers were playfully tapping on grey stock. Johnny flashed his teeth. 

“I’ll give you five seconds to exit the vehicle and another five seconds to release the omegas I know who are in there.”

The man on the steering wheel looked petrified, a shaking hand pointing a Sig Sauer at Johnny. He rolled his eyes, but he couldn’t deny that he had hoped they wouldn’t oblige. 

Johnny swung his rifle and struck the glass of the windshield hard and they flinched like mice. “Four, three, …” 

He smashed against the window again, which started to crack. “Two.” 

He hopped off the hood and now properly held the rifle, aiming. The alphas in the car came stumbling out. There were four of them. Johnny squinted. Two of them were missing, two very important ones; the alphas that had referred to themselves as A and B to hide their identities. He knew their names now, but either way, they were gone.

Johnny cussed and shot one of the traffickers out of pure frustration. Right in his head. He asked for the missing alphas and one of the men before him pissed themselves. Johnny found it kind of funny, and kind of nasty. He explained to Johnny that they had fled right after the first assassinations in Thailand, which had been only thirty-seven hours ago. 

He ordered the man who had peed himself to release the omegas. They were limping and looked high when the van opened. Yuta had already called the police on them, they’d save the kidnapped omegas in the motel and the ones they had tried to take with them, probably in the home to settle somewhere else and continue their business. 

“Where did they go?” Johnny asked. 

He had promised Jongin to avenge him, and now the two men that had hurt his tender, wonderful boy the most, weren’t here.

“I- I don’t know. I swear I don’t know.” 

Johnny raised an eyebrow. Did he think this was going to save his ass? He shot him. 

“I could help! Let me-“ Johnny shot him, too. 

“Apart from Park Chungho and Lee Soonmin only your boss is missing, right?” 

“Y-yes.” 

“I thought so. Just making sure.” 

Johnny killed the last one, ignoring the shivering omegas. Authorities were going to take care of them. He got on his motorcycle again and fired the engine, not keen on running into the police. 

.

“I didn’t know it was today,” Jongin said quietly. 

Chanyeol patted his knee, not sure if he even wanted to be touched. 

“Why didn’t Johnny tell me? Or anyone? I’m not a baby that can’t process information.” 

“I know, I know. We know. I think we just wanted to protect you.” 

Apparently, they were closing the trafficking case today. Jongin was aware that he had just been a little disturbance in the whole operation, the way Johnny and Yuta worked actually had nothing to do with him directly. Jongin was still involved though. If it wasn’t for Johnny’s heart he would have just been found by the police and put in a random hospital. Maybe he would have been sold and the police would have never found him. Jongin felt sick. 

“We have a list of the buyers and sellers,” Chanyeol said softly. “They’ll all go down. Maybe it makes you feel better, the alpha who was going to buy you has been eliminated a few hours ago.”

“It doesn’t make me feel better.” 

Chanyeol looked endlessly sad and Jongin felt guilty. He quickly took Chanyeol’s hand, to show him that he wasn’t angry at him in particular. 

“He always acts like he’s doing everything for me,” Jongin said, “but then doesn’t tell me shit like this.” Was Johnny even safe right now? Jongin was too proud to ask.

Baekhyun was coming out of his office, capturing Chanyeol and Jongin’s attention for a moment. Jongin didn’t blame Baekhyun for not communicating with him. Baekhyun was honest with his people, but didn’t exactly explain all their plans to each and every one of them. Besides, Jongin doubted he was ever going to be fully part of this family. 

Jongin was about to rant some more about how annoyed he was at Johnny, when a thin, blonde man caught him completely off guard. There was something about him. Baekhyun was followed by two other alphas, both of them around Baekhyun’s height. One of them had very short black hair and big eyes. He could have looked cute if he had looked less serious, less cold. He wore all black. The blonde man wore a mask under his chin and jeans so tight they looked painted on. He had heeled leather boots, a giant cardigan and several, sparkling chains with gems were dangling from his ears. He was awfully pretty. He sniffed the air once and turned his gorgeous head to look at Jongin. 

Something did not feel right, and yet it was familiar. Jongin averted his eyes, intimidated by the strong aura and smell. He had gotten a small glimpse of plush lips and delicate collar bones though. 

“What is it?” an unfamiliar voice asked, so Jongin assumed it was the one with short hair. 

Jongin felt panic rise in his chest when he felt the blonde alpha come closer. Chanyeol sensed Jongin’s uneasiness and jumped up, resting a protective hand on his shoulder. 

“Do I know you?” 

Jongin shook his head, suppressing the urge to bare his neck right then and there. This wasn’t right, this wasn’t right at all. 

“Ah, was I being impolite?” Baekhyun cheered, stepping closer too now. 

Jongin had gotten used to all the alphas in the house, or at least he had gotten much better at dealing with it. But suddenly it was a little too much and he just closed his eyes, as if he could will them all away my sheer will power. 

“This is Kyungsoo, old friend of mine,” Baekhyun said, “And his husband Taemin. Ah, you know how it is, by law we can’t marry other alphas, and in our line of work marriages are even rarer. But Soo here insists. They’re so in love, even though they don’t show it. I wish I had a husband. Or wife. Doesn’t really matter. I’m always working though. Chanyeol would have been a convenient mate, but neither of us was really feeling it, ya know? Besides, he has that thing for Junymeon’s little protégé. What was his name again?” 

“Hyung, sometimes,” Kyungsoo said, “only sometimes, it’d be cool of you to just not talk. And his name is Sehun.” 

“I know you secretly love my voice, Soo.” 

“I really don’t. Chanyeol, I thought you had a thing for Junmyeon though? Or do you like them both? That’s almost intriguing.”

“Can you all back off?” Chanyeol snapped, his grip on Jongin’s shoulder tightening.  
He wasn’t defending himself, he was usually up for some bickering. It was Jongin that was concerning him right now.

“My apologies,” Kyungsoo said immediately and stepped away from Jongin. 

Baekhyun had his hands folded behind his back, head cocked to the side. But he too distanced himself a bit. These days Jongin had no problem being close to Baekhyun, he just didn’t want it right now. 

Only Taemin stayed right where he was. Chanyeol wanted to give him a piece of his mind because Jongin was so clearly in distress. 

“Oh my God, it’s you,” Taemin exclaimed, taking yet another step closer. 

He smiled so wide, cheeks puffing up and eyes disappearing. Kyungsoo frowned, which was a pretty grand gesture for him. When Taemin grinned like that he either really loved you, or he was excited to kill you. Chanyeol wasn’t sure if Kyungsoo’s rare display of emotion was more concerning than reassuring. 

“Nini, don’t you remember me? Of course you do. Do you hate me?” 

“Wait, you know him?” Chanyeol asked. 

Taemin nodded. “Yes, we used to go to the same dance school when we were younger. But then my family moved to New York for a while. Stuff happened and you know the rest. Junymeon found me.”

Jongin finally lifted his head. Taemin, Taemin, Taemin, such a familiar name. It sounded natural in his head, but he couldn’t recall details. He knew he used to dance. He knew he used to have a best friend when he had been a teenager. And that he was an alpha with the prettiest collar bones and pale skin. 

“I don’t remember much,” Jongin mumbled. 

“It’s rude to forget someone you love.” Taemin’s smile was a lot warmer now. He wasn’t actually mad, just a little cranky. 

Taemin had so confidently spoke in present tense, was their past so strong that he still fully believed Jongin loved him? 

“Wanna share with the rest of the class?” Kyungsoo said, looking between Taemin and Jongin. 

“Sure.” Taemin let himself fall into the armchair and crossed his legs. “I think I was eighteen when I left. Jongin is a year younger.” 

“So… how old am I now?” 

Taemin didn’t even look cranky anymore, just a little sad. Kyungsoo walked over to him and Taemin pulled him closer, making him sit in the armchair as well. Somehow they fit, Taemin half sitting on Kyungsoo’s legs. “You’re born in January, so you’re twenty-six.” 

Jongin had had a feeling he was around that age, but at least now he knew for certain. 

“I didn’t mean to leave, my parents made me. I caused troubles, it’s my own fault I suppose. Anyway. We were best friends and we used to say we’d mate once we’re old enough. Silly. Hm, I always wondered what happened to you.” 

Taemin told him that his full name was Kim Jongin, that his grandmother had raised him, no siblings, but he had had a dog. 

Jongin liked Taemin, liked the way he spoke and held himself. Baekhyun eventually returned to his office and Kyungsoo said he also had work to do. He gave Taemin a kiss, which Taemin quickly turned filthy. 

“Love you,” Taemin chirped with that wide grin of his when Kyungsoo pulled back. 

“Text someone to pick you up later,” Kyungsoo said. 

“So caring.” 

Kyungsoo snorted and told him he’d see him later. He said goodbye to Chanyeol and left. 

Chanyeol stuck around, protectively clinging onto Jongin’s arm. Jongin wore the white gloves. It was unusual for Chanyeol to lace his fingers with a gloved hand, but he didn’t mind. It made Jongin look even more pristine than usual. It fit perfectly with the beige slacks and turtleneck. 

Taemin told Jongin that they used to sleep together, but Taemin had already left by the time Jongin’s first heat hit. Jongin realised that training with Ten probably came so naturally to him because of muscle memory. Taemin told him about Kyungsoo and that to him he was the most perfect person in the world. Because he was handsome and intimidating, and always showering Taemin with love. They had the same passion regarding weapons, especially knives. “Ugh, Soo loves to tinker around with guns and just firearms. Everyone thinks he’s a genius, I think he should spend more time knotting me than tuning guns or building new ones. Whatever he’s doing, I don’t actually know. But he lets me test them. We recently blew up this warehouse. Drug dealers on Junmyeon’s territory, not that interesting. But fun, Kyungsoo is so fun.” 

“Do you only like alphas?” Jongin asked curiously. 

“Nah, usually I prefer omegas. They smell a lot better, and it’s more fun being with them. With Kyungsoo it’s different though, I like being with him the most.”

Jongin smiled. ”Likewise. I think.” 

“Regarding what exactly?” Taemin smiled back, as if he already knew the answer.

“I think I prefer omegas, but I like this one alpha too much...” 

Taemin looked dreamy. Despite being so different they apparently had always had much in common.

“I should have looked for you,” Taemin contemplated. “Reached out to you... but I thought you might not like me anymore.” 

“Well, I like you now.”

“Ah, Nini,” he squealed. “The only thing that makes me happier than your happiness, is getting dicked down by Soo after a good murder.” 

Jongin wasn’t sure how to respond, but he didn’t have to think of something, because Taemin was getting up and stretched, joints cracking. 

“I should get going. I don’t like this building. Like the shape of the chairs, and the ceiling feels a little bit too high to be proportional. And talking about Soo so lovingly makes me want to put my dick in his mouth so that’s what I’ll do now. Nini, am I allowed to touch you?”

Jongin thought about it for a few seconds. Despite his body being so comfortable with Taemin, despite feeling this connection with him, a part of him only knew of Taemin’s existence for an hour. His aura was still overwhelmingly strong, and he was so extremely beautiful, it intimidated Jongin a little, but he was the best smelling alpha had Jongin met. Aside from Johnny of course.

Jongin nodded and Taemin clapped his small hands once before he gave Jongin a tight hug. 

“You precious thing you,” Taemin sighed, squeezing Jongin a last time before stepping back and letting Chanyeol walk him out. 

.

Jongin was pacing. Constantly thinking about it and questioning his feelings for Johnny made him realise that he was definitely falling for Johnny, as infuriating as it was. That realisation bothered Jongin, because he was still very much upset with Johnny. 

“You promised me,” Jongin said. 

Johnny was sitting on the bed, gaze following Jongin guiltily. 

“You said they’d all die. You had no obligation to promise such things to begin with, but don’t pretend to- fuck. I’m just so sick of being scared and you made me feel so secure! You took some of that fear away, and now it’s back. On top of that I think that you’re forgetting we’re equals.” 

Johnny frowned at that. “I’ve never treated you badly, I have nothing but respect for you, you know that.” 

“I don’t think this is about me being an omega. I just constantly feel like I’m either your eye candy, or I’m this fragile angel on a pedestal that is impossible for me to live up to. If we were in an equal relationship you would have told me about your work. I even asked you about it multiple times.” 

Jongin was still pacing. Johnny wanted to hold him, somehow ground him and make him calm down. 

“When I look at you,” Johnny began, “you take my breath away. I didn’t mean to hide anything from you, I’m so in love with you. If I ever made you feel like I don’t see you as a person, I’m sorry. And I’m sorry if you ever felt like I couldn’t see past your beauty, or past the fact that you’re an omega.”

Jongin inhaled shakily, turning around. “I don’t know why, but sometimes this feels like a mark, a nasty one.” 

He lifted his hand, showing the dark scar there. “I think if you had properly marked me, out of love, I’d feel less dirty. Like it’d erase this scar. It would be the right way. It’s unfair to you though, to the both of us.”

Johnny wanted to punch himself. The knowledge that he made Jongin feel bad was horrible.

“I never wanted-“

”Don’t get me wrong,” Jongin interrupted him. “Yes, I’m mad at you, but my feelings haven’t changed. I find you lovely.”

“I didn’t talk about the operation because I wanted to protect you,” Johnny explained softly. “I just didn’t want to remind you of what you went through.” 

“I think I understand,” Jongin said, “but I don’t approve. I want you to talk to me. I should be more than your lover. Am I not also your friend?” 

Johnny crossed the room. He only hesitated for a moment, hands hovering for two seconds before gently cupping Jongin’s cheeks. 

“I’d do anything for you.”

“You’re so jaded when you look at me.”

“I’m not. Listen, if you want to mate, if it’ll make you feel more secure, if it’ll give you peace, I’m down.” 

Jongin covered Johnny’s hands with his own. 

“Don’t,” he said, “it’s not how things are done. We should both sort out our thoughts first.” 

“It’s up to you,” Johnny replied. “Do you want me?”

“Yes.” 

“Then that’s enough for me, because I know what I want. If you let me be yours, I’ll give you all the time in the world.” 

Jongin tightened his grip on Johnny’s hands, jaw clenched, refusing to cry again. He wanted to be with Johnny, he really did. Jongin just couldn’t tell if Johnny was so head over heels in love with him, he said things he didn’t mean, or if he truly meant the things he said exactly because he was so in love. To Jongin there was a difference. 

“What if you wake up one day and realise I’m not celestial at all.”

“I told you I know you’re not flawless. I just think you’re perfect, but I do see your imperfections, trust me. I will keep every promise I make. The people that hurt you will still die.” 

Jongin nodded slowly. “I wanna do it.” 

The statement surprised Johnny, thumb gently brushing over Jongin’s full bottom lip. “You want to kill them yourself?” 

“Yes. You had your chance.” By the glint in Jongin’s eyes and the slight twitch of the corner of his mouth, Johnny could tell that he was joking, though he wasn’t joking about killing them. 

“Okay,” Johnny said, with a tinge of pride. “That’s my boy.” 

Jongin eventually smiled and pulled Johnny’s thumb into his mouth, biting it gently. If everything inside him was screaming to be with Johnny, maybe he should just let himself fall.

**Author's Note:**

> There will be a second part, it's gonna be shorter than the first chapter though. So maybe it's just gonna be an epilogue? Wear a mask outside, wash your hands, dream about omega Nini. Mwah!


End file.
